It gets better sometimes
by stormbringer94
Summary: At 15 years old, Alex is brought back from San Francisco after another "incident". Aged 17 he's sent to Brecon Beacons. What happened during those missing two years? K-Unit are determined to help, but do they really know what they're getting themselves into? Multi-chapter fic. Set after Scorpia Rising, with a few changes; Blunt is still running MI6. Rated T for language. R&R .
1. Chapter 1

_Hey guys, so this is my first A.R. fic. Be nice, please :)_

_I don't own Alex Rider, or any of the characters in it. If I did, K-Unit would be there ALL the time!_

* * *

Rain pelted against the roof of the mess hall as the soldiers ate. The place was a cacophony of loud male voices and banging cutlery. Whenever there was a lull the sound of the rain filled the silence. Wolf, Snake and Eagle were hunched together discussing the latest disaster of a recruit when the intercom tone rang out, briefly silencing the hall.

"K-Unit, report to the sergeant immediately."

A few heads turned as the three men rose from their meal and left.

* * *

Wolf knocked smartly on the sergeant's door.

"Enter." a voice barked from the other side.

Wolf opened the door and K-Unit entered single file before standing to attention in front of the desk. Snake and Eagle stood to his right. They had yet to finds a permanent replacement for Fox, who had left almost three years ago for MI6.

The sergeant stood behind his desk glaring at them. The man always glared. The room was silent as he scrutinised the three men in front of him. They didn't even twitch. He gave a satisfied huff and nodded.

"At ease!" he barked. The man never whispered or spoke quietly. He gave orders in short, sharp tones, roared reprimands, and screamed insults. Compliments in the SAS where few and far between, and never came from the sergeant. This was the military, not summer camp.

"K-Unit, Fox will be returning to the SAS, and to your unit. I don't know why he left and I don't know why he's back but what I am demanding from you is that he stays this time. I will not sit around here training fucking kids to be men only to have fucking MI6 poach them. Is that clear?"

"Yes Sergeant!"

"Good. Now, on to business." He turned abruptly and went to sit behind his desk. The sergeant never sat during Unit reports, or briefings. K-Unit hid their surprise though, trained as they were not to break from position.

"I'll be frank, men. MI6 have made a request. One that I don't like or understand.

"It appears that Fox will be returning with another addition to your unit."

Sergeant Manson knew his men well enough to know they were itching to ask questions, and was secretly pleased when they contained themselves.

"Cub will be rejoining K-Unit. He and Fox arrive in three days."

Wolf's jaw clenched and Eagle's eyebrow twitched. If making this unit squirm for a moment was the only enjoyment Mason got out of this shitfest, then he was going to make the most of it.

Seconds ticked by as he waited for his men to crack. To be honest, after the bombshell he just dropped, he wouldn't judge them. However, K-Unit were trained professionals and they held their ground. His brief attempt for entertainment foiled, the sergeant returned to the task at hand.

"You have 60 seconds to ask your questions, off the record. Ask, before I change my mind."

Eagle was first, of course.

"How long will Cub be staying this time sir?"

"Indefinitely."

Wolf was next to recover.

"What should we know that MI6 aren't telling us?"

"An old colleague at MI6 managed to send me a copy of Cub's file. It's limited but gives an idea of why he's coming here. You will have 30 minutes in the briefing room to see the file before it is destroyed, following this meeting, off the record, of course. What else?."

Taking his turn, Snake asked the last question.

"What do we do with him sir?"

"Cub hasn't been informed yet of the situation. He will be given one week to adjust and then he will join you in training. The SAS is not a place for special treatment, but the training officers will be aware that these are special circumstances. Despite everything, Cub is clearly a kid. Ease him into it. Understood?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good. Wolf, you are the Unit captain. This will not be easy. The men won't like it, especially our newest additions, and I have a feeling Cub won't like it either. Just remember, Cub isn't coming as an insult to you or anyone else."

"Yes sir!"

"Good. Dismissed."

K-Unit snapped to attention, saluted the sergeant and filed out the door.

* * *

The file was suspiciously ordinary looking. Thin, like all Intelligence files, it sat unobtrusively in the centre of the steel table.

Wolf picked it up but levelled a stern look at his team before opening it.

"Look, there's clearly a lot going on that we need to talk about, but we only have 30 minutes to read this and memorise it, so forget what you're thinking and let's just deal with the task at hand."

Following their captain's lead, Snake and Eagle sat at the table and tried to focus on the file. Wolf flipped open the cover and immediately disregarded most of the papers. Most of the file consisted of Official Secrets Act documents and financial reports. Eventually they came across what appeared to be the only useful information in the whole file; Cub's personal information summary.

**Name: **Alexander John Rider

**Age: **17

**Date of Birth: **13/February/1996

**Place of Residence:**

4 Kings Road, Chelsea, South London, UK

1204 Baye St, Alameda, CA, USA

Brecon Beacons SAS Training Facility, UK

**Education:**

Brooklands Comprehensive School

Alameda High (4 months)

*Removed from school – tutoring at Brecon Beacons

**Known Associates:**

Tom Harris (civilian)

Sabina Pleasure (civilian)

Jack Starbright (civilian – deceased)

Yassen Gregorovitch (Person of Interest – deceased)

Anthony Sean Howell (Person of Interest – deceased)

Tamara Knight (CIA operative)

Bejamin Daniels (MI6 operative – former)

Derek Smithers (MI6 technician, agent)

**Known Relations:**

John Rider (father – deceased)*

Helen Beckett (mother – deceased)

Ian Rider (uncle – deceased)*

*Former MI6 agents.

**Legal Guardian:**

Ian Rider (deceased)

Jack Starbright (deceased)

Edward Pleasure (guardianship terminated)

Royal and General Bank – (Representative: Tulip Jones)

Note: Rider has been monitored from a young age as a person of interest and future investment, due to family association with MI6 (see Ian Rider; see John Rider). Guardianship obtained to secure asset.

**Mission Record:**

Herod Sayle – Stormbreaker (see Ian Rider; see Yassen Gregorovitch)

Dr. Hugo Grief – Point Blanc (see K-Unit; see M-Unit)

General Alexei Sarov – (see CIA joint-op file #154J87D)

Damian Cray – Eagle Strike (unauthorized: see Yassen Gregorovitch)

Scorpia – (see Julia Rothman; see Yassen Gregorovitch; see John Rider)

Ark Angel – Nikolei Drevin (see Paul Drevin; see Magnus "Kaspar" Payne; see Tamara Knight; see CIA)

Snakehead, Scorpia – Major Winston Yu (see Anthony Sean Howell; see Royal Blue; see Benjamin Daniels; see ASIS)

Greenfield – Desmond McCain (unauthorised: see ricin; see RAW (ISOS); see First Aid)

*see Harry Bulman

Horseman – Abul-Aziz Al-Rahim "Razim" (see Julius Grief; see Scorpia; see CIA; see Jack Starbright)

**Success Rate:**

Subject has successfully completed all missions. Mortality rate of colleagues is within normal range. Note: excessive destruction utilised to ensure completion of mission.

Additional Note: Subject displays signs of chronic insubordinate behaviour, on and off contract. Regulatory methods employed have been unsuccessful so far.

**Date of Recruitment:**

12/Mar/2010

*Note: Subject displayed reluctance to be recruited. Methods employed. Success to be determined.

**Medical Status:**

Fit for duty

Hospitalisation Occurrences: 7

*See mission files

**Medical Note:**

's medical staff express concern for subjects situation. Advise further recovery time allowance. Taken under consideration. Disregarded.

Subject has displayed remarkable resilience following traumatic injury (see Point Blanc; see Ark Angel). PT not required. Supervision recommended. Taken under consideration. Confirmed.

Psychological evaluation recommended. Initial psychological evaluation Confirmed. Further evaluation: to be considered.

**Preliminary Psychological Evaluation:**

Subject displays reluctance to discuss missions and relevant details. Distrustful of strangers. Possible trauma – unconfirmed. Possible sleep deprivation – unconfirmed. Possible PTSD – unconfirmed. Further evaluation recommended.

"Jesus." murmured Snake.

"What the hell do all these anagrams stand for?" Eagle huffed. "ASIS? RAW? ISOS? And PTSD? Do they seriously think he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at 17?"

"You'd be amazed." Snake interjected, "Even young children can get PTSD, if they's evperienced something really horrific. And by the looks of it, Cub's had plenty of oppurtunities to be traumatised. I mean, looking at this file, it doesn't seem as though these have been low profile missions."

"Snake's right." Wolf said, speaking for the first time since opening the file. "ASIS is Australian Secret Intelligence Service and ISOS is Indian Secret Operations Service. I don't know what RAW is, but it looks like Cub's been loaned out to all kinds of agencies."

The three men sat in silence for a moment, mulling over what they had just read. Eventually Wolf shook himself out of the daze and pulled the file back toward him.

"Look, like I said at the beginning, there's a lot to talk about. But we know that the sergeant has nothing more to give us, so there's no point in asking. We have 15 minutes left. Let's just try to memorise what we can before they destroy the only information we have on Cub, ok?"

His teammates nodded and focused back on the file.


	2. Chapter 2

_Ok, so here's chapter 2. This is a week after K-Unit read the file. _

_I don't own Alex Rider or K-Unit :(_

* * *

K-Unit were waiting for the new arrivals in their barracks. Wolf was working on something at the desk and Snake was on the floor doing sit-ups. They had been excused from the morning drills and Eagle was already getting fidgety.

"When do they arrive again?"

"0900 hours." Snake answered from the floor, giving up on his exercises.

"And when is that again?"

"In an hour, Eagle."

"I wish they'd have let us run some drills this morning." He complained, "I hate this sitting around and waiting crap."

Snake clapped him on the shoulder and went to sit on his own bunk. Wolf gave a noncommittal grunt from his desk. Sheets of tactical maneuver guides were spread in front of him.

"Wolf, what the hell are you doing? Those drills are basic." Snake sighed, ignoring the sharp glare his leader threw him.

"I'm changing them." Wolf growled.

Eagle pulled himself up off his cot and moved to look over Wolf's soldier.

"Why are you changing them?" he asked, frowning at the mess of notes and lines drawn all over the diagrams. Wolf swatted his hand away before answering.

"I'm trying to accommodate Cub. These maneuvers are all going to be different for us now. We may be used to working with Fox, but with Cub, we're a five-man team. Not to mention, we have no idea what standard he's at. I'm trying to figure out how to ease an untrained 17 year old MI6 agent in to SAS training."

Eagle glanced at Snake who shrugged.

"I'm guessing it's not going too well." Eagle quipped, but the humour washed right over Wolf.

"No." He groaned, scrubbing his face with his hands. "I just can't wrap my head around what they want us to do. I mean, between his file, and what we saw in France, we know the kid's good. But that doesn't mean that this isn't seriously fucked up. I mean, did you see what they said about his recruitment? He was reluctant so _methods were employed_. What the fuck does that even mean?"

"Look Wolf, maybe you should take a break. We'll figure out what to do with Cub when he gets here. And don't forget, we'll have a week before he actually starts with the drills."

"Snake's right, Wolf. Not to mention Fox. He clearly knows Cub, and I'm sure he'll know what Cub can and can't do. Or you know, we could just ask Cub."

Wolf's expression read like a book. Adding an extra cot and playing 20 questions with the kid wasn't going to sort out this mess.

"Wolf –"

"Look, I know we talked about this. I know we've been talking about this all week. But I just can't let this go. I'm sorry."

"We know, but –"

"No! We haven't said this, because clearly no one wants it to be true, but what if Cub's been _affected_ by the work he's been doing."

"What are you saying Wolf?" Eagle frowned.

"What I'm saying is there's clearly a reason for Cub being sent here, and whatever it is, it's not good. Cub was a kid when he first arrived here. He wasn't equipped to deal with trauma, and we aren't equipped to handle a kid with PTSD."

"Are you saying you don't want him here?" Snake asked with raised eyebrows.

"No! Just the opposite. I want to help Cub. And, before you say anything, it's not just because I feel guilty for being a first-class ass the first time around. We're soldiers, and the most important thing we have to remember as soldiers is what we're fighting to defend."

By now Wolf was out of his seat, staring into the faces of his companions.

"I am _not_ fighting for a country that will manipulate and abuse a kid whose been left completely alone. I didn't sign up for that and neither did you!"

Eagle leapt up and started to applaud, wiping a pretend tear from the corner of his eye.

"Bravo sir! Stirring speech, worthy of the great Bard himself!"

"Shut up Eagle." Snake groaned, throwing a boot at him. "Look Wolf, it's great that you want to help this kid, but like you said, we're not equipped to handle a traumatised child. Maybe his age isn't the only reason he shouldn't be here."

"I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that we have to prepare ourselves for whatever else is going on with Cub. We helped each other after Kabul, and we were able to do that because we understood. If an outside therapist couldn't help any of us, then what are chances of one being able to help Cub? Because I can promise you that whatever shit we've been through, it's nothing like what he's had to deal with. We at least people to watch our backs. Cub's been alone."

"Look man, my brother's a psychologist but I can hardly call him up now, with my non-existant phone by the way, and get a full understanding of PTSD in adolescents in under an hour." Eagle sighed.

Snake was slowly coming around to Wolf's point of view. Any information was better than nothing.

"But surely you're brother has mentioned something about his work before. I'll bet he's tried to psychoanalyse you a million times over the years."

"Yeah, and I've developed a pretty handy ability to block out his psycho-babble." Eagle snapped. They all knew Eagle wasn't on the best of terms with his family, least of all his twin. Their sibling rivalry had taken a nasty turn when Eagle had joined the army, and his brother got accepted into Cambridge. He came from a family of academics and doctors. His parents had told him explicitly that choosing the army over university made him a complete failure in their eyes, something his brother loved to remind him of. That had been ten years ago and they were still trying to convince him to give up his life with the SAS to become a lawyer or something.

Changing his tactics, Wolf dropped his "Unit Leader" voice and tried again, this time, as a friend.

"Please Eagle. We know your brother's an ass. We met him, remember? We just need to know if anything stuck with you."

Eagle's mouth twitched. Eventually he caved.

"Look, I zoned out every time he tried to go all therapist on me. Truth be told, the only thing he ever said that stuck with me was that talking helped, clichéd as that sounds. He was so insistent that unless I talked to someone I was going to turn into a crazed killer. He said keeping all the fear in could twist a person. "

Eagle paused and gave a hollow chuckle.

"That was years ago though, when I first joined up. I don't think it occurred to him that the only fear I'd experienced by then was fear of the sergeant. The real shit came later, but that's what I have you guys for. Not that it mattered to him. As long as he gets to rub my so-called failures in my face..."

It wasn't much to go on, but bitter and brooding wasn't Eagle's natural state so they dropped the topic.

Eventually, that last hour passed, and the long-awaited knock on the door, finally came.

Fox was the first to enter. Grinning from ear to ear he shook hands with his captain before dumping his duffle on the floor and moving to greet Snake and Eagle. Wolf could hear them laughing and jabbing at each other but his eyes were fixed on the figure in the doorway.

Cub had grown. He was taller. He had lost what little roundness he'd had in his face. He was still blonde. Wolf couldn't remember if his hair had been lighter or darker before, but it didn't seem important.

All things considered, he didn't look all that different. Older, and a bit sadder, but still Cub.

"Hey Wolf." He said quietly. Everything about him just screamed _tired_. Wolf couldn't tell if it was physical exhaustion or mental. Maybe it was both.

Wolf paused for a moment before offering a sad smile.

"Hey Cub."


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello again. I guess I find it easier to write about Alex and K-Unit than I do to write these introductory notes, so I won't bore you anymore :P_

_I don't own Alex Rider. He and K-Unit belong to the genius that is Mr. Horowitz._

* * *

The awkward silence in the room was practically suffocating them. Wolf indicated to Cub's bed with a small jerk of his head. Cub nodded and went to dump his dufflebag on the cot. Snake and Eagle watched his every step, as though they were waiting for him to spontaneously combust. Pausing for a moment, Cub took in their curious expressions and was quick to leave. As soon as the door shut behind him Eagle pounced on Fox.

"Tell us everything! And if you even think the word classified I'll shove Wolf's socks down your throat!"

"And don't think I'll save you anymore. I'll actually be holding you down." Snake added.

Fox huffed out a breath.

"Damn guys, war changed you..." he said in mock seriousness.

"C'mon Fox, help us out here." Eagle whined, "That file on Cub was completely bogus."

"You were lucky to get anything at all." Fox grumbled, "That file is packed compared to what the heads were going to give you."

"So you do know about the file!" Snake jumped in.

"Of course I do, idiot." He scoffed, "I'm the one who handed it to the sergeant."

"You wrote the file!"

"No, Eagle, didn't you hear what I just said? I delivered it."

"Right, but you have read it?"

"Well, yeah –"

"So you know there are still a lot of blanks to fill in."

"Yeah, but –"

"And you, as our resident Cub-expert, are going to fill in those blanks."

Eagle sat back with a smug grin on his face. Snake looked at Fox expectantly. The pair waited eagerly for Fox to regale them with tales of the teen superspy's adventures, but their old-now-new-teammate sat in silence.

"Well?" Eagle said, "Start!"

"To be honest, guys, I really don't know Cub all that well." Fox admitted.

"But you were on a mission together!"

"Not really." He shrugged, "Alex was technically working for the ASIS at the time. I was just the tail MI6 had on him."

"That's all?"Snake said incredulously.

"Well, I sort of took a bullet for him, I think."

"What the hell, man? How do you _think_ you took a bullet for him?"

By now Eagle was pacing in frustration. This was supposed to be whole lot simpler than Fox was making it. He was playing games with them and they all knew it.

"Well, I was in the same room as him when our target, Major Yu, shot me. I don't really know what his story was, but the guy really had it in for Cub. That's all I know."

"But you're supposed to have developed this deep brotherly bond, you know? From shared near-death experiences and all that. I mean, you just said you took a bullet for him for Christ's sake!"

"Well, to be honest, I don't think Cub was about to be shot, so technically I just took an ordinary bullet."

"And what did Cub have to say about you getting shot?"

"Not much."

"Screw this!" Eagle huffed, turning to Snake in exasperation. "They _both_ need therapy!"

Snake finally stepped in, back to his old role as peacekeeper.

"Surely you have some idea of what's he's like? We just want a bit more insight into Cub the person, not Cub the spy."

"Well, we never really talked about much, aside from the mission. I mean, I can tell you he's a great kid. Everyone liked him, even when he didn't talk much. People just seem to get attached to him. I was really worried all those times he disappeared. He's also a damn good operative. Unorthodox, yeah, but he gets the job done every time."

"Ok, so he's a good operative and a good kid. Wonderful." Eagle grumbled sarcastically.

"Look, guys, every time I ran into Alex, he was either after pulling some crazy - and most often flammable- stunt, or he was pissed off at someone. We didn't really have much one-on-one bonding time. Not to mention that Australia was almost three years ago, and he's been with MI6 almost full time since then."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the file you got was completely accurate, but it wasn't complete." Ben shrugged helplessly as Eagle opened his mouth to complain again. "Look, Smithers couldn't get access to Alex's updated file. He gave you what he had, but that's it. After he was brought back from the states Blunt and Jones were careful not to let Smithers see him too often. Didn't want trouble, you know? Smithers just said he wanted you guys to have an idea of what Alex has been up to. I guess he was hoping it would make you be easier on him or something."

Eagle banged his head on the table.

"Well it seems to have worked, at least." Fox joked weakly.

"Yeah, but there's still over two years worth of information missing." Snake fumed, "I mean, what if something in those two years explains why Cub is here. Or what if there's something in the file that we really should know?"

"What do you think Wolf?" Eagle asked, finally turning to their strangely quiet unit leader. There was only one problem.

"What the hell! Where did he go?"

Cub sat perched on the log fence outside the barrack.

"Can I join you?" Wolf said, coming up behind him. Cub didn't flinch or jump. He just turned his head slightly to look at his new captain.

"It's your fence." He quipped.

"It's yours too now," Wolf said quietly, swinging his legs over the chipped bark, "if you want it to be."

Cub didn't give an answer, and Wolf wasn't really expecting one.

Waiting for nothing in particular, Wolf picked up a stick off the ground and started to whittle away at it with his knife. He'd shredded the whole stick by the time Cub spoke again.

"They asking Fox about me?" he asked, staring at the tree line. Wolf followed his lead and kept his eyes fixed on the stick in his hands.

"Yup."

"They getting anything out of him?"

"Nope."

"They asking about the file?"

"Yup."

Neither of them spoke for a long time after that. The just sat there side by side; Cub, watching the clouds drift by, and Wolf, shredding a new stick. Eventually it was Cub who broke the silence.

"Wolf?"

"Yeah Cub"

"Are you going to ask me about my file?"

"Probably."

The silence stretched on for even longer after Wolf's reply. The clouds Cub had been watching had merged together to for one massive grey blanket across the sky. Eventually Wolf's stomach started to feel hollow, indicating lunch time and the end of their peaceful interlude. Pocketing his knife Wolf chucked each of the seven now shredded sticks, into the trees. Gripping Cub's shoulder briefly, Wolf stood and started back to the barracks. The moment his hand touched the handle he heard Cub speak from behind him.

"Hey Wolf?"

He turned to see Cub still sitting on the fence staring at the clouds.

"Yeah Cub?"

"Thanks."


	4. Author's Note: READ ME, I'M NOT THAT BAD

_Hey guys. _

_Just an author's note. Hope you're not too disappointed. _

_Just letting you know that this story is going on a short-term hiatus, due to my exams. It's only for a couple of weeks, and don't worry, I still have plenty of ideas so I'm not going anywhere. _

_If I do update this story in the next 6 weeks do NOT encourage me. I should be studying, not procrastinating. _

_Thanks for the reviews so far, and hopefully there won't be any need for author's notes in the future._

_-stormbringer94_


	5. Chapter 4

_So, thanks for the patience guys. If you hate hiatus messages half as much as I do then you're probably not to pleased with me. So, to make ammends, here is chapter number 4. I was bold and broke my own rule. Thanks for all the encouraging messages though!_

_I don't own Alex Rider._

* * *

When Wolf woke it was still pitch black. It was too early, even for him. Something had disturbed his sleep but he couldn't focus enough to remember what. Just as he was about to close his eyes, he was reminded.

Someone in the room was breathing harshly and twisting around in their bed. He could hear the bed springs creaking under the constant movement. Opening the blinds above his head Wolf squinted toward the sound. The moon wasn't helping all that much, only casting a dim grey light around the room.

The groaning stopped for a moment. There was a moment of pure silence until Eagle gave a muffled shout and shot up from his bed. He stood poised for a minute, braced for an attack. He scanned the room with wide eyes, his chest heaving, before he saw Wolf sitting on his own bed. Finally recognising his surroundings, Eagle dropped back onto his cot and rubbed his eyes. Wolf picked up his own water bottle and placed it beside Eagle.

"Afghanistan?" he asked, knowing the answer already.

"Yeah."

"You good?"

"Yeah."

The pair shared an understanding look. Then Eagle blew out a long sigh and lay down again.

"Night Wolf." He said, before rolling over and going back to sleep. Being a soldier had trained them to sleep when they could. Turning to go back to bed Wolf was stopped in his tracks by the sight of Cub, sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at him. He had clearly witnessed the entire exchange. Sensing the significance of the moment, Wolf held Cub's stare. Unlike the previous evening, Wolf was the one to eventually break the silence. He spoke in a low voice, hoping to impress on the kid just how much he meant what he said.

"We all get nightmares Cub."

* * *

The next morning when Wolf woke, Snake and Cub were already dressed. He could hear Eagle stirring across the room. Snake was grinning as he made his bed. Cub was sitting on his bunk, lacing up his boots. The corner of his mouth kept twitching. Wolf looked to Snake, about to ask what was so funny, when he noticed Fox.

Their old friend was lying sprawled on his back, his head and shoulders tipping off the end of his bunk. A trail of drool ran from the corner of his mouth, past his eyebrow, before disappearing into his hairline.

"I don't think he'll be up anytime soon Wolf. At least, not without help." Snake snickered. It wasn't really funny, though. If Fox was late they'd miss morning parade, which means they'd miss breakfast. Glad as he was to have their old unit member back, if Fox cost him his breakfast, Wolf would murder him.

He was about to throw his boot at Fox and yell at him to wake up, when he noticed Cub watching him. His eyes flickered expectantly between Wolf and the sleeping Fox. He was waiting for Wolf to explode.

It irritated Wolf a little that Cub would have him figured out after one day back at camp. Deciding to throw the kid for a loop, he just rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Wake Eagle first. He'll want to see that."

* * *

By the time the five of them were up, dressed and on their way to breakfast, K-Unit had decided that Cub wasn't so bad after all. He was quiet, and he preferred to watch Eagle and Snake poke fun at Fox. But, when he did speak, it was too say something quick and often sarcastic. Cub was smart, but he knew where the line was and never crossed it. He seemed to realise that his life would be that much easier if he let K-Unit deal with his presence in their own time, not that he had anything to worry about.

With the others cheerfully accepting Cub, Wolf didn't have to worry so much about the kid's mental state. He figured Cub was more like him than Eagle; he kept his feelings to himself and that suited him just fine. If he wanted to talk he knew Wolf was there. Hopefully their sort-of-conversation the other day had made that clear.

By the time they arrived for breakfast, the mess hall was in full motion. Seven of the fifteen benches were usually occupied by loud, obnoxious new recruits, but they were out on drills. The rest of the hall was filled with senior units. Even only half full, noise still filled the whole room.

K-Unit sat next to M-Unit. Eagle and Fox were trying not to laugh as Wolf scowled at his tray. Cub cast a curious glance at him before looking at Snake for answers. Snake saw Cub's questioning look and grinned, leaning in to explain.

"Wolf hates eggs. Like, _really_, hates them. It's beyond irrational, but, he's going to have to eat them if he wants to last the day."

Wolf huffed.

"He also has to eat them because when Wolf gets hungry he turns into a real horse's arse, don't you Wolf?"

By now Alex could see why Eagle and Fox were laughing. Wolf's absolute disgust in the face of something as innocent as scrambled egg was comical.

"Yeah, he can be a real pain. Why do you think he was such a bastard when you were here the first time?" Eagle chuckled.

"Eggs?" Cub said in disbelief. "That's _all_ that was about?"

"Well, yeah. That, and he was actually a genuine bastard at the time."

If Wolf was being more lenient because of Cub he wasn't going to let the others know, least of all Eagle. So, determined to maintain control over his unit, Wolf promptly jabbed Eagle in the ribs, grabbed his roll, and dumped his own eggs onto Eagle's plate.

Eagle wheezed dramatically and clutched his side. Snake and Fox laughed openly and Wolf tried to hide his own grin. Cub chuckled quietly. He still seemed unsure of how K-Unit would react to him acting like one of them, but a quick wink from Snake seemed to put him at ease.

* * *

After breakfast K-Unit made their way back to their cabin. They were due on the assault course in thirty minutes, and Cub had been given a stack of papers to deal with. They guessed it had something to do with his tutoring.

As they walked Eagle became more and more excited. After almost two years of temporary unit members, getting Fox back permanently had lightened all their spirits. There was something about a soldier's selection unit that was just irreplaceable.

As the barracks came into view Cub fell into step behind them. While the others were preoccupied with, well, whatever it was Eagle was doing, Wolf dropped back.

"What's up Cub?"

He was trying to keep it conversational, but from the way Cub was eyeing Eagle, he was clearly curious about the nightmare.

"You're wondering about Eagle, aren't you?" Wolf began, hinting at Cub to speak. It wasn't so much a question, as a simple statement of facts. Cub ducked his head a bit, but his curiosity got the better of him, and eventually he spoke what was clearly on his mind.

"Shouldn't you be worried?"

Wolf didn't hesitate in his reply.

"I trust him." He said, "I know what I need to. Nobody in this unit would risk his teammate's safety for the sake of pride. That's what being in a unit means."

Wolf watched his young companion from the corner of his eye, hoping to read his reaction. He was disappointed though. Either the light from the sun was blocking his sight, or Cub's expression hadn't changed. Either way, Wolf had no way of knowing what Cub was feeling.

"Last night, you said "we"." Cub said. Wolf was surprised. He didn't think that had registered with Cub.

"Yeah, I did. After all the shit we go through, all the stuff we see and do, I'd be more worried if I never had nightmares. I know the others feel the same."

Silence seemed to be a favourite response of Cub's. He took his time, trying to be diplomatic and respectful when he didn't need to be.

"You didn't ask me... about my file, I mean."

Wolf chuckled softly as Eagle threw a ball of moss at Fox's head and missed wildly. Then, without breaking stride or expression, he answered.

"Like I said Cub; trust."


	6. Chapter 5

_Hey guys. Sorry again for another ridiculously long break. My exams sucked every creative thought right out of me but hopefully this will get me back in the swing of things._

_I don't own Alex Rider, however much I wish I did..._

* * *

It seemed like Cub's arrival at Brecon Beacons was going smoothly. K-Unit's easy acceptance of him had sent a message; the kid was all right. The senior units weren't bothered by him anyway. Most of them remembered him from Selection as quiet but competent. He had been respectful and unobtrusive, and that didn't seem to have changed. Besides, if the Sergeant said he was there to stay, they knew better than to question him. That wasn't their job and Cub wasn't causing any trouble.

In Snake's opinion, their unusual tolerance was all down to Eagle. The man was a compulsive gossip, and while he had been tactful enough about spreading information, by the time Cub's fifth day had rolled around, almost every unit on camp knew that he was definitely more than he seemed.

As the days passed though, Snake noticed the unusual amount of attention they were drawing. Although there had been no animosity directed at him, Cub had been on the receiving end of many curious stares. With the recruits out on a navigation exercise for the coming weeks, the soldiers were almost bored. So, with no newbie's to haze, they focused on Cub.

Staring was a far as they got.

Cub, as it turned out, was a master of polite deflection. He could spot an interrogation coming from a mile away, and would either strike up a conversation first, or simply disappear into K-Unit's cabin, claiming some assignment as an excuse. At the rate he was going he could probably graduate in a couple of months.

Whenever they did learn something about Cub, it was on his terms. When S-Unit returned to camp on Friday, he surprised them all by standing and shaking hands with Bat and Falcon, speaking quietly to them before leaving the mess hall. The stunned recognition on their faces only inspired more curiosity, and as soon as Cub was out the door, S-Unit was practically assaulted by the other Units.

Unfortunately, Bat and Falcon were an extremely limited resource.

"What was that about?" Lion demanded from the bench next to them.

"Yeah," Eagle jumped in, "what did he say?"

Falcon glanced at Bat in confusion before replying.

"He was thanking us."

"What for?"

"For pulling him and his girlfriend out of a plane wreck, I think."

"Oh for God's sake!" Fox cried out in exasperation. "Would you stop pissing about and just tell us what happened. Eagle's about to have an aneurism."

"Well, hello to you too, Fox." Falcon sniped.

Seeing his captain's temper rising, Bat was quick to abandon their teasing.

"Falcon and I were on security detail at Heathrow a couple of years ago. Air Force One was in the hanger and we were at the outer gates. Next thing you know, Air Traffic Control is going ballistic cus the plane's trying an unauthorised take off, and then, literally as the wheels are lifting off, the whole thing jerks off the runway and crashes. We were first on scene, and we found Cub, out cold, a girl, with two dead bodies next to them. We got Cub out but before we could do anything else, the place was crawling with MI6 and CIA agents and we were sent back to the gate."

"Bloody hell Bat! And you never said anything!" Eagle exclaimed, shaking his head at the other man as the other units strained to follow the conversation.

"Well, we couldn't, could we?" Falcon defended. "We had to sign those bloody OSA forms, didn't we?"

"So, why are you telling us now?"

"Well, you said Cub's staying here, properly this time. The way I see it, we're doing no harm. He'd probably have told you himself, if you'd asked."

"Hmph! Not likely!" Eagle sulked. "Talking to Cub is like talking to a politician. He knows how to talk without actually _saying_ anything. He'd never tell us the truth."

"Well, have you asked?" Bat asked, raising an eyebrow at the sulking soldiers in front of him. He knew the answer by the looks on their faces.

"Well, no, but..."

"But what?"

"Oh shut up, Falcon."

* * *

When K-Unit returned to their cabin than evening they found Cub hunched over a stack of papers. Exhausted from a hard day, the soldiers all collapsed on their bunks. Wolf covered his head with his pillow, trying to block out the "debate" that was surely about to break out between Fox and Eagle. Tonight, however, Fox was not the intended target.

Tired as he was, Falcon's words were still running through Eagle's mind. Deciding to take the initiative, he perched on the end of Cub's bed and waited to be acknowledged. When Cub didn't respond, he decided to help him along.

"So Cub, what's with all the books?" he asked innocently. Cub barely grunted in reply.  
"Aawww, come on Cub, why the sour face?"

"Eagle, you try passing you're A-levels, a year early, I might add, with an SAS soldier playing _Whatyadoin?_ at your shoulder!"

"Aww, c'mon Cub. Just take a break for a bit." Eagle complained loudly.

"No."

"But-"

"Eagle, I swear to God, if you don't shut up right now you're sleeping outside tonight." Wolf growled from his place under his pillow.

"But-"

"But nothing. I'm sleeping now, so shut it."

"Yeah, Eagle. Leave Cub alone." Fox defended.

"A bugger off Fox. You're ruining my fun."

"And you're starting to sound like a child, Eagle." Snake warned. Eagle looked insulted for a moment, before a concerned frown overtook his features and he backed away from Cub. Sitting on his bunk, Eagle ran through his behaviour that day. While he had always been the joker of the unit, being compared to a child was not something Eagle took lightly. Had it come from Fox, he would have just brushed it off as a meaningless comment, but Snake was another matter. Maybe he had become too invested in Cub's secrets.

Peeling off his combats he sank into the hard mattress. Tomorrow, he decided, would be different.

* * *

"Up and at'em boys!"

Cub was up and dressed, of course, and fussing with the stack of papers beside his bed. Wolf was busy trying to wake Fox. The barracks were still dark.

"Oh for fuck's sake! What time is it?" Eagle groaned, yanking his shirt over his head. The floor was cold under his bare feet.

"It's almost 6." Wolf grumbled, abandoning his efforts with Fox, who was looking comatose. "I give up! Snake, you try wake him."

"If it's six, then why is it so fucking dark?" Eagle griped, lacing up his boots. Cub moved to the window by Fox's bed and looked at the sky.

"Clouds." He answered. "And lots of them."

"Well, shit." Snake said, pulling his boot out from under his bed and aiming carefully at Fox. "I hate drills in the rain."

"Well, you might want to consider a career change then." Wolf chuckled from his place by the door.

Snake huffed loudly and flung his boot in Fox's direction, missing, and hitting Cub in the stomach instead.

"Mother fu-"

"Oh shit! You ok, Cub?"

"Yeah." He wheezed, doubled over. He braced his hands against his ribs and stayed that way for a moment before straightening up. "I'm fine."

"You sure? You look a bit pale." Snake teased lightly, assured that Cub was ok.

"He looks hungry, not pale. In fact, we all look hungry, Snake, because you haven't woken Fox yet, so we haven't eaten." Eagle grumbled, heaving himself off the bed and joining Wolf and Cub by the door.

Snake rolled his eyes at his cranky teammate and retrieved his book from the floor by the window. Lacing it up quickly, he marched back over to Fox and yanked the sheets off the sleeping man.

"Aaarrgghh!" Fox yelled, jumping out of bed and stumbling over his own feet. He landed in a heap and Snake dumped his blankets over him.

"Mmmffrrgrhh.", came a muffled groan from the pile of material.

"Get dressed Fox." Snake said, nudging him with the toe of his boot. "We're going for breakfast, with or without you."

* * *

The more time K-Unit spent with Cub, the more curious they became. He seemed to alternate between two attitudes; tense and suspicious superspy, and sarcastic, moody teenager. His teen outbursts were few and far between, but they served as a constant reminder that, despite everything, Cub was still only 17.

A week into his training, a fragile camaraderie had formed between Cub and K-Unit. They were still desperately curious about him, but had learned not to push him. In return, Cub had relaxed enough to stop speaking to them as superiors, and had even cracked a few jokes; mainly at Fox's expense.

Unfortunately, their comfortable pattern was about to be disrupted.

Cub's week of rest was up, and he was due to join them on drills; full participation.

Wolf was called to the sergeant's office, and returned 5 minutes later with Cub's schedule and a scowl. The paper was dropped on the desk as soon as he walked through the cabin door, but the scowl stayed in place all day.

Eventually, as they all settled in that evening, Snake plucked up the courage to ask Wolf, straight up, what had happened.

His unit leader's expression darkened further and he chucked his boots under his bunk forcefully.

"The recruits are due back in 5 days." He growled.

The significance of Wolf's statement was lost on Cub, who was working away on his applied physics, but not on the others.

"What the fuck!?" Eagle protested, sitting up quickly. "Why are they back so early?"

"The lieutenant General will be doing a rank inspection in three weeks and Sergeant wants to make sure the recruits are all up to standards."

"Well shit!" Eagle exhaled, sinking back onto his bed.

"I don't get it." Fox frowned, "What's the problem?"

"The problem," Snake said "is that now we have a week less than we thought to get Cub ready."

""I'm sorry, but _get me ready?_" Cub interrupted, "Get me ready for what, exactly?"

Snake flinched and Wolf had to refrain from slapping him over the head. Instead, he took a deep breath and turned to face Cub, who was standing now, and glowering heavily at the four men.

"Look Cub, we weren't going to say anything cus we figured we'd have more time and you'd be ready, so it wouldn't matter..."

"Fine, I forgive you, or whatever! But you keep saying _get ready._ What the hell does that mean?" They could see in his face that Cub was reverting back to familiar territory; suspicion. He was poised to run.

"Nothing spy-related Cub, we promise!" Eagle interjected, before Cub shut down communications permanently.

"No!" Snake agreed, looking shocked at the very idea.

"What we mean is, we have to get you ready for the recruits." Wolf explained, scowling again at the thought.

Cub's eyebrow twitched.

"I'm sorry, did you say for the _recruits?_"

"Don't laugh Cub, we're being serious."

"Well I'm serious too; seriously confused! What the hell do I have to do with the recruits?" Cub hissed angrily. He clearly felt frustrated at being dealt with like an object.

"Christ, how do I explain this?" Wolf groaned. The rest of K-Unit had automatically stepped back to let Wolf take the lead. "You've probably noticed that the other units on base have been pretty chill about you being here, right?"

"Well, yeah, I'd noticed."

"Have you not been wondering why nobody's been bothering you since you arrived?"

"Well yeah, I'd thought about it..."

"And what did you come up with?"

"Well, I figured you've all been at this long enough to be able to, you know, roll with the punches. I guess I chalked it up to your experience and... oh." Realisation dawned slowly on the young man's face.

"Exactly." Wolf spoke quietly, hoping to keep Cub's attention long enough to explain.

" All the soldiers you've met are SAS veterans. We've all seen enough crazy shit in our careers to realise that you're not here as a joke. The recruits on the other hand..."

"It'll be like the first time, won't it?" Cub murmured dejectedly, all the indignation slowly draining out of him.

"To be honest Cub, it'll probably be worse." Eagle chipped in, figuring that the full truth was required now. "There are 40 recruits arriving back in 5 days. They're going to think you're some kind of joke, and unless you can prove them wrong, they're going to cause trouble for you."

Cub's reaction was simply to frown at the ceiling. His expression was similar to that of when he first arrived, and Wolf realised that Cub looked _exhausted_. Physically, he seemed ok, but emotionally? The kid just couldn't seem to catch a break, and now Wolf had to add to the strain.

"Unfortunately, Eagle's right. Last time, it was you against the 4 of us, and as bad as we were to you, we could have been worse. You were at the bottom of the food chain with the rest of us. This time though, you're an established member of and SAS unit. They're fighting tooth and nail to get in, and they're going to resent you for apparently skipping to the top."

"So what the hell am I supposed to do about it?", Cub asked no one in particular.

"Look Cub, most of the recruits are smart enough, or they wouldn't have made it to Selection. They'll realise you've got nothing to do with them and will leave you alone." Wolf placated, trying desperately to get Cub to liven up again. The world weary expression on his face was frustrating to see.

"But there's always one, right?"

And Wolf had once thought _he_ was a pessimist.

"More than one, Cub." Snake added, "We've got a few hotheads in this batch."

"Yeah, Sergeant mentioned that." Wolf picked up. "He advised me to keep you close, but..."

"But if the recruits think I'm hiding behind you guys it'll only make things worse for me, right?"

"Right." Eagle nodded solemnly.

"Look Cub, kid or not, you _are_ a part of this unit." Wolf said forcefully. "That means we've got your back. We'll beat the crap out of anyone who comes near K-Unit, but I don't think that'll do you any good. It'd just make them hate you more."

"Exactly." Snake agreed, Fox nodding behind him. We'll stick by you, but you're best shot at making this situation work is to _prove_ yourself. Show them that you're for real."

Cub was looking a bit overwhelmed, so the four soldiers all nodded awkwardly at each other and returned to their respective bunks. The cabin fell silent eventually as they nodded off, one by one. Eventually only Cub and Fox were left awake.

"Cub, I know this was a crappy situation to begin with, and I know this whole "recruit" mess isn't making it any better, but could you do me a favour?"

"Depends on the favour." Cub hedged, eyeing the older man warily.

Fox nodded absently, realising that that was the best response he was going to get from the spy.

"When the recruits return, and when they start acting up, don't judge them too harshly. Please."

Cub was understandably perplexed.

"Just... We were like them when you came here. We didn't know what you were, and we couldn't understand, so we were complete assholes. It's ignorance, not cruelty, that'll be driving them. So, please, just give them time?"

Fox waited anxiously for Alex to reply.

"Alright Fox."

Relaxed, Fox lay back down. Eventually the soldier dropped off to sleep and Cub was left alone with his thoughts.


	7. Chapter 6

_Ok, first of all I'm going to apologise for the ridiculous hiatus this story has been on. I'll always love writing Alex and K-Unit, but sometimes the inspiration just isn't there. For anyone still reading this, I commend you for your dedication. I can't guarantee regular updates of any decent length, but I'll do my best. _

_As always, the genius of these characters belongs solely to the brilliant Mr. Horowitz_

"Ok Cub, we're gonna take it slow the first couple of times." Wolf announced, as he stretched his arms out above his head, listening for that satisfying crack. He seemed unfazed by either the ridiculous hour or Alex's tired glare. The spy feigned disinterest as he examined his surroundings. Dense purple clouds hung low in the sky, looming ominously above the sleeping camp. The melodramatic thought made Alex chuckle darkly. He had too much trouble in his life to go searching for it in weather patterns.

Averting his eyes from the greyness above, he returned his focus to the greyness ahead. The heavily trampled grass shone dully in the morning light. It 0400 hours and cold enough that Alex could see his breath misting in front of him. He watched it curl and dissipate, wishing he could disappear too. As grateful as he was for K-Unit's concern, it was cold and early and he wasn't in the mood to figure out their ulterior motive. Wolf was describing how best to land from the zipwire, seemingly eager to _help_ Alex. His relaxed attitude was unnerving. People didn't just _change._ They could pretend all they liked, but Alex firmly believed that a person's core character was constant. Therefore Wolf must either be a genuinely good and considerate person who had just acted like a total ass, or he was really an ass putting on a good show. But for who? K-Unit? No... they all followed his example because, saint or sinner, Wolf was a natural-born leader.

Alex waited for the man to finish his speech with an impassive expression. He and Wolf were standing at the beginning of the new and improved obstacle course. The thing was a monstrosity of rope walls, mud pits and barbed-wire tunnels, with great wooden posts standing like totem poles intermittently throughout the course. Zip wires and climbing nets were suspended between them, the dull grey ropes blending into the stormy clouds behind them. The whole thing looked like the medieval playground of a psychopath.

Wolf had gotten special permission from Sergeant Manson to train Alex separately, before throwing him in the deep end with the senior units. Every morning a different team member was to wake up two hours before the others to walk him through the drills. It was a pointless practice in Alex's opinion, but K-Unit had developed some mother-hen characteristics in the past week, and wouldn't take no for an answer.

Wolf had volunteered himself for the first early morning and, having already brushed off Cub's quiet insistence that he didn't _need _the extra training, was finishing his stretches and waiting for Cub to respond.

"Ok Wolf, but we really don't need to do this..." Alex tried to answer, but he was silenced with a sharp look. Suppressing the need to roll his eyes (it didn't seem like the kind of thing Wolf would tolerate, despite his new-found friendliness), Alex returned his gaze to the wooden abomination in front of him. He tuned out as Wolf explained in detail the purpose of each and every obstacle. Already Alex was mentally mapping out his game plan, hoping to prove to Wolf that he didn't need extra training. He most _certainly_ didn't need to wake up at 4am every morning for said training.

"You got all that Cub?" Wolf's voice shook him out of his thoughts. Having ignored all of Wolf's disturbingly detailed rundown of the course, Alex opted for the generic nod and "Yeah.".

"Good. Ok, so I'm going to jog the course, and I want you to watch me. Then you're going to walk it –_ walk it, _I said. Once you get a feel for it, we'll start working on your pace. You need to be fast, but more than that, you need to be _good._"

This time, Alex stayed deliberately focused on Wolf. He was genuinely curious as to how capable the SAS captain had become over the years. The last time he had really seen Wolf in action had been at Point Blanc, and that wasn't long after Selection. Three years had passed since then, and the vicious, temperamental young man Cub had tangled with seemed to be long gone. This new Wolf was controlled and professional; every movement he made _oozed_ authority.

Since Alex's last stint at Brecon Beacons, Fox and Snake were relatively unchanged. Eagle, although bizarrely rambunctious at times, was easy to read. Alex could rely on their behaviour to keep him informed; with them, he knew where he stood.

Wolf, on the other hand, was uncharted territory.

Underneath the perfect-soldier exterior, traces of that temper still lurked. He was still fiercely protective of his unit, but had apparently decided to include Alex in that definition now. Since Alex's arrival, just a week ago, Wolf had clearly been the most accommodating of them all. He exuded patience and understanding whilst the others pestered and harassed him. But Alex had developed a certain level of skill at reading people over the years, and every now and then, when he didn't think anybody was looking, Wolf's mask would slip. His eyes would flash darkly and his face would grow sombre. Alex didn't believe for a second that it was about _him_. If he had learnt anything about Wolf in their brief history together, it was that he _hated_ false pretences; if Wolf had a problem with Alex, then he would make sure Alex knew. Painfully.

In spite of Alex's initial resolve to watch Wolf complete the course, by the time he had pulled himself from his own thoughts Wolf had already climbed the rope web, and was busy flinging himself off the top, breaking for the finish line.

The absent fear of heights was apparently another change in Wolf.

After walking the course Wolf jogged brusquely back to where Alex was waiting. Wolf finished the course in twelve minutes and forty-three seconds. It was a respectable time for any soldier, but Alex could tell he had held back. He had deliberately slowed down several times. Whatever his reasons, they were unnecessary.

"Ok Cub, you're up."

The obstacle course was a thrill for Alex. Over the past four years of gun chases and psychopaths, he had forgotten how much he _loved_ this. Aside from his extensive MI6 training, Alex was a naturally athletic person. He revelled in the familiar ache of his muscles, reacting instinctively to his environment, just like Ian had taught him to. In the safety of the SAS camp, without gunfire or the fear of imminent death, Alex could look back on all his uncle had taught him without resentment. Leaping off the rope wall without stopping to think about it, Alex landed on the balls of his feet, tumbling to dispense his weight, and jogged over to where Wolf was waiting.

The mask was back. Alex couldn't tell what was lurking behind Wolf's steely grey eyes; frustration or admiration; anger or pride? The man was clearly a _master_ of RTI.

"What happened?" he growled, his lip curling in a distinctly lupine manner.

"What do you mean?"

"I thought I said _walk_ the course."

Alex stared for a second, completely nonplussed by the aggression in Wolf's voice.

"Oh come on Wolf, what's the point? You've seen me do it, now can I go back to bed?"

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Well why the bloody hell not?" Alex exclaimed, seconds away from stamping his foot.

"Do it again."

"What?"

"Do it again."

"Why?" Alex could hear himself sounding more and more like a petty teenager, but he knew that this "me big, you little" attitude Wolf was sporting would have to be dealt with sooner rather than later.

"Because it said so."

Alex could handle a lot. He could handle fear and pain and abuse, but those words inevitably triggered a reaction in him. Alex was programmed, right down to his DNA, to revolt against those words.

"Jesus Wolf! Stop treating me like a kid! I can do your bloody obstacle course! I can fight, I can shoot and I can do it all without anyone holding my hand!"

It was Wolf's turn to break his stony facade. He flung his hands in the air and let out an exasperated groan.

"I know you can fight and shoot Cub, but you're still a kid!"

"NO I'M NOT! Jesus Christ Wolf, I'm fucking ANCIENT! I'm a goddamn _veteran_"

And there it was. An outburst, four years in the making.


	8. Chapter 7

_Woohoo! Two chapters in one day!_

_I can't actually take credit for this. A lot of this chapter is from the book, Scorpia Rising. This story I'm writing is really a continuation of Anthony Horowitz's books, and I wanted my Alex to be based off of the real Alex's experiences._

_Thanks again for sticking with me and my __inconsistency__!_

_I don't own Alex Rider, or K-Unit, as much as I would love to..._

* * *

"What do you think is going on now?"

"Hell if I know." Grumbled Wolf. This week was shaping up to be bad enough. After his supposed breakthrough with Cub at the obstacle course, the kid had shut down. He woke and trained every morning with one of them, eating and sleeping, but never saying a word. And then this morning, two suits had pulled up at parade and whisked him away in their fancy black sedan. To top it all of, Wolf was missing breakfast for this meeting. Had anyone other than the Sergeant suggested it, he would have beaten the crap out of him without batting an eyelid. However, it _was_ the Sergeant who was demanding their presence, which meant he would just have to make do.

"But why would he call us without Snake and Cub?"

Fox frowned, deep in thought.

"Well, he knows Snake is on-shift at the infirmary today, and there's no way in hell he missed the Men In Black pulling Cub out of morning parade. My guess is it's something to do with Cub or MI6."

"So he _deliberately_ called us without Cub?"

"You got another explanation Tweety?"

"Did you just make a Looney Toons reference?"

"Don't change the subject. You think I'm right, don't you?"

"Shut it, the pair of you! You'll have your answer in a second, unless you get us kicked out first for arguing like old ladies."

"Damn, I forgot what a hungry Wolf was like..."

* * *

"At ease, men!" the sergeant said, moving in front of his desk. He examined the three men in front of him and noted their impeccable posture before continuing.

"Wolf, Eagle, Fox, I called you here without Cub for a very specific purpose." Mason barked. Fox's lip twitched. Mason scowled at the break in perfection and Fox schooled his expression once more. "Before I disclose said purpose, I must inform you that the information I am about to disclose, and the source of that information, are extremely sensitive. You may inform Snake and, if you see fit, Cub, but no others. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good. Now, following Fox's report on his brief involvement with Cub and MI6, I took it upon myself to investigate matters further. As you know, Cub's file was conveniently lacking in details. Details which, as I'm sure you all recall, are essential when applying to the SAS." Here Mason paused and glared at each soldier for emphasis.

"Now, whilst Cub did not apply to the SAS in those terms exactly, a debrief on his mental and physical well-being are still compulsory. So I contacted one of our own – a former SAS captain, now working in MI6 security – and called in a favour."

Another glare.

"What he found was both informative, and extremely disturbing. As you know, most of Cub's work over the past 18 months has been, not only classified, but completely off the books. The only people who know what happened in those months are the Head of MI6, his deputy, and Cub himself. Rumours of his activities have been reported but unconfirmed.

"However, my man did manage to supply me with a copy of Cub's last mission before he moved to America. "

The three soldiers stood in resolute silence as the sergeant gripped the file in his hands tighter. He was clearly conflicted about his next choice, but none of the men commented.

Eventually Mason shook himself out of his thoughts and focused back on the Unit in front of him.

"This is not how we do things in the SAS. Under normal circumstances, I would leave you all to work it out in your own time." Mason scowled, "However, due to MI6's lack of cooperation regarding Cub and his psychological state, I believe it is necessary for you all to understand, sooner rather than later, what you're dealing with."

He handed the file over to Wolf and stepped back to his desk.

"If you're feeling conflicted about this... Well... swallow it. I don't give a fuck. There's a projector in briefing room B that you'll need. Dismissed."

The three man snapped to attention and marched out.

* * *

The three soldiers examined the innocuous looking box in front of them. There were numerous written reports, filed away with typed transcripts. A packet of surveillance photos and a blank disk were slotted into the back of the manila folder.

"Reports first?" Fox asked, looking to Wolf to lead them again, in an entirely different kind of battle.

"Reports first."

Most of the reports were vague and uninformative; _I was guarding the gate when it all went down... I saw a schoolboy running, but at the time I didn't think anything of it... My job was to watch the ambassador. I saw the security glass shatter, but I never saw the shooter..._

"Look for the report written by the Op Controller. There should be a mission debrief with his statement." Fox said, rifling through the sheets of paper.

_Our sources informed us that an attack against the US ambassador would take place in Cairo_, _during her speech. It is likely that the terrorist's intention was to frame the British government, using the topic of the ambassador's speech – a harsh criticism of the British government – as a motive for the assassination of the ambassador. The government would be blamed and our international political ties, destroyed overnight._

"What's on the disk?"

"I don't know. Is there a DVD player or a computer anywhere?"

"Yeah, there's a projector in the briefing room."

_It was a high quality recording of white room. A white room with white floors, white walls and white light. The only thing that wasn't white was the high-backed leather chair in the centre of the room. In the corner of the screen, a separate image showed what appeared to be a blank TV screen. _

_A man – young; Iraqi by the looks of it– was examining the monitors when his pager rang. Glancing at the tiny screen he grinned in anticipation before sitting on the edge of the chair. Then, looking directly into the camera, he spoke._

_"__This is -Aziz Al-Rahim, or Razim. The date is April sixth, 2011, and today I will be conducting stage four of Project Alpha Two Nine. Subject is fifteen year old Alex Rider. Due to the success of stages one, two and three, I have decided to take a different approach with stage four, focusing on the emotional rather than the physical aspect of the Razim Scale."_

"What the fuck is this?"

"Ssshhh! Look, Razim's leaving."

_A door opened off-screen and a heavily bound Cub is half-dragged in by a large figure and dumped unceremoniously on the chair. The burly man strapped him down whilst two more technicians began wheeling a seemingly endless stream of monitors and machines in. At Razim's nod the muscle man and one of the technicians followed him from the room. The remaining technician, a dead-faced woman, began hooking Cub up to the different machines. Electrodes were taped to his pulse points, and wires were attached to his chest and fingers._

"Oh God, what are they doing?" Eagle groaned as Wolf and Fox stared in horror.

_Cub had woken as the woman finished sticking the last electrode to his neck. He swept the room with wary eyes and began to tug at his restraints. As his eyes landed on the monitors he blanched began to tug harder at his bonds. It dawned on Fox that Cub knew what was coming._

_The machines beeped and hummed to life as the woman fiddled with them. All the while Cub glared at her with murder in his eyes. The effect was reduced by the rapid beating of the heart monitor behind him, not that K-Unit's hearts were beating any slower._

_The door swung open again and Razim re-entered, followed by-_

"Holy fuck! Is that _Cub_?" Eagle gasped in confusion.

"Oh shit." Wolf groaned, pausing the video. "Guys, I can explain this."

"You can?" Fox's eyebrows tried to disappear into his hairline. "Well then Christ, Wolf, please do!"

"Shit, ok... Remember that mission I told you about, the one in France, with the train?"

"The boarding school? The one with the clones of... Oh."

"Yeah." Wolf rubbed his eyes. "Cub was undercover there, as a student. We rounded up all the other clones but we never found Cub's. He had only been there a couple of weeks, so MI6 just figured there wasn't one."

"Well, I guess there was."

"Yeah, and if he's anything like the others then he's a sociopath with a taste for pain. And a violent hatred of Cub."

"Why Cub? You were the ones to arrest them."

"Yeah, but Cub killed their father – or whatever he was – and now they all hate him."

"So Cub's psychopathic doppelganger, with a vendetta, has him strapped to a chair and completely at his mercy?"

"Pretty much." Fox hissed, but then he shook his head and looked up hopefully. "But, Cub's here now, with us, so he's clearly fine."

Wolf's only response was to unpause the video.

_Clone-Cub was grinning sadistically as Razim pulled on a grey labcoat and scrubs. The Iraqui moved at a slow, purposeful pace and approached Cub, who glared at him._

_"__Are you afraid Alex?" he asked. He sounded like a teacher, talking to a favourite student._

_Cub didn't say a word, holding Razim's gaze._

_"__Would you like a glass of water before we begin?"_

_Still no response._

_Clone-Cub fidgeted, inching closer to Razim. The older man straightened his posture and began to circle Cub, still speaking like a teacher; like a friend._

_"__A great many people have sat where you are sitting now." He said, circling once more. "I have conducted many experiments in this room, and one day the world will be grateful for the information I have gathered. It is very unusual for me to have a teenager, and in normal circumstances it would suggest to me many possibilities."_

_Razim almost sounded disappointed as he pulled over a cloth-covered trolley. Cub didn't even twitch as the cloth was whipped off to reveal a row of gleaming blades. Clone-Cub watched eagerly for Real-Cub to react, and was visibly disappointed when Cub continued to stare silently at the madman in front of him._

_"__As you can see, there are all sorts of ways that I could cause you pain, Alex," Razim murmured softly, his voice like velvet. "My young friend Julius has ideas of his own. Left to himself he would, I am sure, do unspeakable things to you, starting perhaps with your toes and working up. He would enjoy that very much."_

_And it looked like he would. Clone-Cub – Julius – was almost laughing by now, his eyes wide with anticipation._

"Oh God, oh God, oh God..." Eagle groaned, watching through his fingers. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Just remember Eagle, Cub is here, will all ten fingers and all ten toes. He's fine." Fox repeated like a mantra. Eagle could tell he was trying to convince himself as much as anyone.

All the while Wolf just stared at the screen with a sick look on his face.

_"__Unfortunately I cannot allow him to go ahead. We are both somewhat limited as, for reasons I won't go into at the moment, you cannot be marked in any way. No cuts or bruises! No bits missing! And so, with regret, we must say farewell to the knives and syringes. There will be no bloodshed tonight." Razim sighed, re-covering the trolley with a flourish and pushing it away._

The three men watching gave a collective sigh of relief. Whatever was to come, Cub hadn't been harmed.

_"__However, do not believe for a minute that this offers you some sort of easy way out. I have made it my life's work to study pain in all its different forms, and the pain I intend to inflict on you will be perhaps even worse. There are two instruments that I am going to use. Earlier today I promised you hell. And now, my dear child, it is here."_

"Fuck! What the hell did they get this kid into?" Fox hissed, pacing frantically. But his eyes were still glued to the screen.

_Razim reached down and picked up two objects off the table. As he showed them to Cub it became clear what they were. One was a TV remote control, presumably for the TV they were seeing in the corner of the screen. The other was a detonator, which Razim tossed the Julius, who caught it with a gleeful grin. It was beyond disturbing to see the Cub-lookalike licking his lips with such sadistic anticipation. _

_"__Are you ready, Alex?" Razim asked, pointing the remote at the TV. "There's something I want you to see."_

_He turned on the TV._

"Is that what Cub is seeing?" Eagle asked, pointing to the image in the corner of the screen as it flickered to life.

"Must be. We can't see the TV itself, so Razim must have wanted to see it on tape."

_The image was grey and fuzzy as the monitor warmed up slowly. Julius leered at Cub as the young spy watched in confusion. Razim was watching intently from the side as the image sharpened, revealing a woman in a cell. She was chipping away at the cement holding the window bars in place._

_Realization dawned on Cub's face, followed closely by horror. Gone was the blank face and piercing glare. He couldn't seem to tear his gaze away from the screen as Razim spoke again._

_His voice no longer held that conversational tone from earlier. Now he spoke with a mocking lilt, giving a running commentary of the scene unfolding before them._

_"__So it would seem that your friend Miss Starbright stole a knife from the breakfast table this morning. That was very bad of her." He tutted in disapproval before a sly smile took over his face. "But shall I tell you a little secret, Alex? I had an idea that she might. In fact, I rather wanted her to. And she didn't disappoint me."_

Wolf frowned in frustration. "Starbright... Where do I know that name from?"

Eagle shushed him as they watched the woman catch the bar when it fell from the window.

_"__And there you are," Razim cooed, "Who would have thought that someone as careful as me would put your friend in a cell with a metal bar just waiting to come loose? And how foolish of me to dismiss the guards who usually patrol the prison block, leaving her free to wriggle out. What could I have been thinking of?"_

_Cub sat frozen in the chair. Julius and Razim shared a look of pure delight as the machines around him pulsed and beeped. Dread was etched into every line of Cub's face as he watched the woman squeeze herself through the gap in the window._

_"__Now look at that! She's out! She's free!" Razim crowed, almost hysterically, "And despite all the noise she's made, nobody has heard. I wonder if anybody has left a car for her to help her get away?"_

_The screen flickered to a different camera angle, following the woman as she crept down the passageway and out into the courtyard. A jeep sat parked and waiting, just as Razim said, with a single guard watching the gate._

_"__Just one guard," Razim hummed, "We didn't want to make this too easy, did we?"_

_Cub somehow found his voice, but was still unable to tear his eyes from the screen._

_"__You wanted this to happen." He croaked. The machines twitched and flickered in the background._

_"__Of course. We were using a long-range listening device when you were at the lake this morning. Why else do you think I let the two of you walk alone? It might amuse you to know that the technology was almost exactly the same as that water bottle gadget you were given by . Yes. I know about that too."_

_Razim leaned in close to Cub and whispered in a soft voice, "Have you not yet learned? I am a master of manipulation. I manipulated MI6 into sending you here. I manipulated your arrival at Cairo International College of Arts and Education. And very soon I will manipulate the British government into doing exactly what I demand. From the start I have been pushing the buttons and pulling the strings. All along you have been dancing to my tune..."_

_Razim nodded to the screen, directing Cub's attention back to the TV as the woman jumped out and knocked the guard over the head with the metal bar. Julius started giggling manically, clapping his hands like and excited child._

_"__She thinks she's being so clever!" he crowed in delight._

_"__I must say, I hadn't expected her to injure my guard," Razim mused, straightening up. "But as to the rest of it... shall we tell Alex?"_

_"__Yes!" Julius hissed, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Tell him!"_

_And just like that, psycho-scientist Razim was back, circling Cub as he spoke._

_"__There are two types of pain, Alex. Physical and emotional. Up until now, my experiments have all been physical. But as I have already told you, I need you intact. So it is emotional pain that I am measuring right now, and so far, the results are already impressive."_

_The needles were shaking faster now as the heart monitor beeped louder. Lights on the machines flashed as Cub strained against his bonds, every muscle in his body tensed._

_"__Please," he begged, his eyes wide with sheer terror. "She has nothing to do with this. You don't have to hurt her."_

_The woman climbed into the car, and for the first time since they had met him, Cub looked like a child._

K-Unit stared in horror at the screen. Like Cub, they could see where this was going, and like Cub, they couldn't look away. The teenage superspy was long gone, replaced by the anguished boy in the chair. He twisted and pulled at the leather straps, desperately trying to free himself – trying to reach his friend, who, they now knew, was as good as dead.

_"__Miss Starbright is now sitting on thirty pounds of high explosive," Razim crooned, still eyeing the different machines. "Consider the situation, Alex. She has been with you all your life. She is, I am sure you would agree, your best friend."_

_"__Leave her!" Cub roared, panicked fury overtaking his terror as he writhed in the chair. However, his reaction only seemed to enthral Razim further as the man's eyes gleamed maliciously behind his glasses._

_"__She is your best friend. And the remote control, the device that will detonate the explosive, is in the hands of someone who hates you, who has been dreaming for more than a year of destroying you. Why don't you speak to him, Alex? Why don't you ask him to take pity on you?"_

_The jeep on the TV screen was pulling out of the gates, speeding away._

_"__Please!" Cub begged hoarsely. "Don't..."_

_Tears streamed down his face as he stared at his clone; his own reflection._

_"__I'm sorry?" Julius smirked, leaning into Cub, "I don't think I heard you."_

_"__Please, Julius." Cub whispered. "I'll do anything you want..."_

_"__You're doing __exactly__ what I want." Julius said, holding the detonator right in front of Cub's face. Cub strained forward, shaking his head desperately. Julius smirked._

_Then he pushed the button._

_The jeep was gone, consumed by a towering fireball. The screen filled with orange and red light as the surrounding desert was illuminated by the inferno. For a moment there was silence. _

_And then Alex Rider broke._

_He screamed, the piercing sound tearing through K-Unit. He thrashed against the restraints; his face contorted in agony; his fingers clawing at the seat. In that moment, he didn't seem human. Chords stood out on his neck as he howled like an animal._

_Julius looked like he had just won the lottery. This grotesque version of Cub danced around the room, laughing and clapping, as Razim tapped frantically at the machines._

_"__It's extraordinary," the scientist muttered excitedly, "We've never had readings like this. Never. It seems that I have completely underestimated the power of emotional pain. I may even have to create a second scale of measurement. This is really quite remarkable."_

_They could barely hear him over Cub's tormented wails. _

_Eventually he blacked out, slumping in the chair, but the machines kept beeping and scribbling. They had gone haywire when Julius pressed that button and they were still going. _

_"__Wasn't that great!" Julius declared. "Wasn't that cool!"_

_Razim sent him away with a sharp word and eventually turned the camera off. _

_In the corner of the screen the fire still burned._

K-Unit sat in stunned silence; their faces visible only by the light of the burning wreck on-screen.

"Jack Starbright." Wolf moaned through his hands. "That's how I knew the name."

"Who was she, Wolf?"

"She was Cub's guardian, from the file. It said she died, but I had no idea..."

The door opened behind them and the sergeant entered. K-Unit didn't stand to attention, and Mason didn't ask them to. The horror in their faces was reason enough to let it slide.

"We wanted to know..." Eagle said hoarsely, still staring at the blank screen.

Mason, in a rare paternal moment, placed a hand on Eagle's shoulder.

"Yes." He said solemnly. "But unfortunately, that was only a taste. Twenty minutes of the last four years of Cub's life."

Wolf looked like he was going to be sick. Fox, pale-faced and horror-stricken, stared at his hands.

"I thought we wanted to know..."


	9. Chapter 8

_So here's the next chapter. I don't own Alex Rider, Anthony Horowitz does. That's why he's rich and I'm not!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Wolf had been keeping a close eye on his team since they watched the video of Jack Starbright's death, and already he could see their frustration. They were all angry and conflicted about what they had witnessed. Watching Cub's suffering felt like an invasion of his privacy, but they were still anxious to know the truth and to confront those responsible. Eagle and Snake would stay up late, discussing Cub and his missions. Fox had confessed to him, in the dark hours of the morning, that Cub's anguished howls at the moment of detonation had been a running soundtrack in his dreams for days. Wolf himself hadn't gone a single night without hearing Cub's screams, and worse, his clone's laughter. His laughter.

After discussing it with the other three, they all agreed not to mention the tape to Cub until they were sure he could handle it. Wolf was all for confronting Cub, but only when the time was right, and not a moment sooner. Alex Rider was beyond secretive, and if his evasive attitude was anything to go by, he wouldn't cope well with an interrogation about the murder of his closest friend. As curious as Wolf was, he wasn't willing to risk his tenuous relationship with Cub for anything. So he would wait until Cub trusted them, and when he was ready, Wolf would ask. He would ask about his family, and his missions and MI6, and he would get answers.

But not yet.

* * *

A week later Cub returned. One morning K-Unit woke to find him lacing up his boots, as though he hadn't disappeared for a week. And aside from a colourful bruise over his left eye, he seemed exactly as he always was.

Wolf was torn. Cub's absence had worried him more than he cared to admit, and he had hated the way they had left things. But apologising wasn't really in his nature, and he knew deep down that he wouldn't really mean it. As much as Cub liked to deny it, he was technically a kid, and Wolf would never truly be able to forget that.

K-Unit spent the better part of the morning tip-toeing around their youngest member, trying to figure out what to say. The sight of Cub's bruised head had put strain on Wolf's plan to be patient. Eagle would often start to ask a question before snapping his mouth shut. Wolf wasn't sure how long the other three could hold out before their curiosity got the better of them, and the silence was beginning to get to them. Oddly enough, they weren't the ones to break it.

After breakfast, the day Cub returned, they stopped at their barracks before drills began. Wolf planted himself by the desk and began retying his bootlaces.

"I'm sorry."

If he hadn't been so uncomfortably aware of Cub's silence until now, Wolf would have sworn he was hearing things.

"What?"

It wasn't Wolf's most eloquent response, but in all fairness, _Cub _apologising to _him _was the last thing he had expected.

"About last week, and the training. I wasn't angry at you Wolf, you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Cub-"

"No, seriously. I know you guys look at me and you see a kid, and I just have to accept the fact that that's not something I can easily change. I know what I am. I'm just not used to people treating me like what I'm _supposed_ to be."

"I don't understand." Eagle frowned.

"All I'm asking is that you guys stop treating me with kid-gloves."

"We'll do our best Cub," Snake said, "but you've gotta give us something to go on."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we treat you like a kid because that's what we see. We know nothing about you, or what you've done, so we've had no reason to treat you any differently. What you say you are..." Snake sighed and rubbed his temples, "look, it just doesn't sit right with us. It's hard to just take your word for it, you know?"

Cub scowled. Wolf got the feeling that this wasn't the first time the teen spy had had this conversation.

"That's fair enough, but I can't go spilling government secrets just to make you feel better."

They were pushing too hard. Wolf could see Cub getting his back up. He was like a wild animal, just waiting for someone to turn on him.

"But surely there are some things you can tell us? I mean, about you personally." Fox pleaded, curiosity overcoming tact.

"Christ guys, I _am_ a government secret! That's the point."

"Fine, no personal history. But what about last week?" Eagle asked, joining the interrogation.

This wasn't good. They were ganging up on him. He was going to run.

"What about last week?" Cub was physically moving away from them now. He was feeling defensive. Wolf reached out and gripped Snake's shoulder, trying to get him to back off, but it was too late. Fox, Snake and Eagle were soldiers, trained to complete missions no matter the cost. They were too focused on the task at hand to see Cub glancing at the unlocked door.

"Where were you?"

"I'm pretty sure this falls under the government secrets category." He snapped, his brown eyes flicking to the window on his left.

"Have you signed the debrief statement yet?"

"No."

"What about the mission specific OSA form?"

"Not yet."

"Well then..."

"I can't tell you!"

"Bullshit Cub! What were you doing?"

"Nothing Eagle!"

"Oh come off it Cub! You disappear for a week and come back with that bruise on your head-"

"Exactly Eagle! It's a bruise! I'm sure you've got lots of them. I'm sure we all have, so will you please just _drop it_!" Cub snapped. He dodged around Wolf and stormed out the door.

The cabin was quiet.

"Well that went well..." Fox sniped.

"Jesus guys, you can't _push_ him like that!" Wolf growled, scowling fiercely at his teammates. "He's only been here a couple of weeks. He's clearly terrified!"

"But we didn't do anything!" Fox complained, Snake and Eagle nodding indignantly with him.

"Not of us, you moron! Of MI6! They clearly have a hold on him, and he's not going to risk his secrets for us. Especially after you just attacked him like that!"

"Well what do we do then?"

Wolf yanked his jacket on and marched to the door.

"For now, we get back to work. Shooting range in ten minutes."

* * *

That evening K-Unit sat around their bunks, trying to unwind after a long day of drills. The morning's argument was forgotten by now. The obvious tension between them had been ignored throughout the day until it naturally dissipated.

Wolf eventually stood from his bunk and stretched.

"Alright, lights out in five. Drills are at 0400 to accommodate evaluations."

"What?" Cub's head snapped up.

"Mandatory psych evals."

"What? Why?"

Wolf groaned internally. Damned kid was paranoid.

"They happen after every mission." Eagle answered carefully, still wary after Wolf's warning from earlier.

"But you guys haven't been on any missions lately."

"No, but you have."Wolf said, placing his boots neatly at the end of his bunk.

"So?"

"So if one member goes, we all go. That's how units work."

"But I was barely gone a week!" Cub blustered.

"Doesn't matter. It's SAS protocol."

"This is ridiculous! You guys don't know a thing about my missions, and I can hardly go spilling MI6 intelligence to strangers, even if they are SAS psychologist."

"I'm sure the sergeant has thought of that."

Fox , Snake and Eagle all climbed into their respective bunks and let their captain deal with the angry teenager.

"But –"

"Leave it til tomorrow Cub." Wolf sighed. "It's lights out."

* * *

The following day found Alex sitting stiffly on a bench in the Administration Block. His left arm ached from the early morning drills and he was waiting to get this farce over with. Wolf, Fox, Snake and Eagle had each been in and out in ten minutes, but somehow Alex couldn't see himself getting the same treatment. Eventually the door opened and a disturbingly familiar figure emerged.

"Mrs Jones, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to ensure national security." She replied in monotone, fishing around in her purse. She was dressed from head to toe in charcoal grey, blending into the wall behind her like an illusion.

"What do you mean?" he scowled, an instinctive reaction to her presence.

Mrs Jones glanced up at him, one eyebrow raised. She must have been feeling well and truly exasperated to display such a level of emotion.

"Your psychological evaluation. Sergeant Manson was most insistent that you adhere to _all_ SAS regulations during your stay at Brecon Beacons. Unfortunately that was one of the conditions when he agreed to take you on." She replied, finally producing a mint from her purse and sliding it between her grey lips.

Alex's scowl deepened, completely unimpressed. He was sick and tired of being managed by other people.

"So you're just going to sit in on my therapy session? Talk about our feelings, our dreams? And then what? Group hugs?" He spat. Mrs' Jones just looked at him blankly.

"I have just returned from a meeting with Dr. Weston and he has agreed to sign the Official Secrets Act, amongst other documents, to protect your identity and our secrets."

"This is bullshit and you know it." Alex snapped. "I won't go in there to entertain a shrink with adventure stories. I'm not a bloody puppet!"

Mrs. Jones didn't even blink at his outburst. She simply continued on to the exit, pausing briefly to turn and look at him.

"You may be frustrated, but you have no choice in the matter. You have to cooperate."

There was no need for the silent "_or else" _at the end of her sentence. Her words were a carefully planned reminder of the fact that they _owned_ him.

Without letting his fierce scowl slip, even though he felt like he was drowning inside, Alex stood stiffly and opened the door to face the damned psychiatrist.

Dr. Hugo Weston was as irritating as they come, before he even spoke a word. He was a short, middle-aged man, with thin hair and large eyes that peered over tiny spectacles. His lips twitched into a grin at the sight of Alex, his depthless face suddenly lighting up. Alex had seen that expression before, mainly on the faces of people trying to kill him. It was the look of manic excitement, associated, in Alex's experience, with homicidal tendencies. Alex sat across from him and stared, waiting for him to blink.

Dr. Weston sniffed and shuffled his notes primly before addressing his new toy.

"My name is Dr. Hugo Weston, and I will be evaluating your mental state today."

There was a long pause. Weston very quickly became bored with the silence.

"So Alex-"

"Don't call me that."

"Why not?" Weston asked, tipping his head daintily to the side.

"Just don't"

"Ok..." he hummed delicately, making a note in the file on his lap. "Why are you here today?"

Alex had decided, as soon as he laid eyes on Weston, that "cooperate" was a subjective term.

"To be evaluated."

"And how does that –"

"Bullshit."

"Excuse me?" Weston's voice wasn't nasally, but it was too high to be considered anything other than stupid. His approach to psychology was much the same. Alex had had a long morning and, two minutes in, his patience was already wearing thin.

"If I can predict your next three statements can I leave?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Alex held up three fingers and pretended to think for a moment, glancing quickly at the other man's notes where they rested on his lap. A crude spider diagram clearly described Weston's planned topics of discussion for the session.

"So tell me about your family." Alex stated, dropping one finger.

"What?" Weston's shiny forehead wrinkled in confusion. He clearly wasn't used to losing control of a session so quickly.

"How does that make you feel?" Alex guessed, dropping his forefinger. Weston scowled, staring at Alex's hand. The fact that Alex was not giving him the finger was purely coincidental..

"Alex-"

"Let's discuss your missions, shall we?"

Weston sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. A simpering smile crept across his features.

"That's very cute Alex – "

"Don't call me that."

" – but there's a lot more to therapy than questions and answers."

"So I was wrong?"

"Well, it's so much more complicated than that –", Weston's smile was slipping.

"Goodbye Dr. Weston."

Alex rose from his seat and opened the door, only to be met with an overwhelming stench of peppermint.

"Alex! Done already?"

"Mrs Jones, I have agreed to cooperate with you, now will you please make Alex cooperate with me? I can hardly be expected to work if he insists on making a joke of this." Weston whined.

Mrs Jones stepping forward, forcing Alex to back up into the room.

"Alex-", she sighed.

"Don't call me that."

Mrs. Jones paused and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Fine. Cub, why won't you let Dr. Weston evaluate you?"

"Because he's a fraud."

For one brief moment, the room was beautifully silent.

"I can assure you Alex-"

"Don't call me that."

"-my degree is real."

"I never said it wasn't."

Weston's face crumpled in confusion. Mrs. Jones watched the interaction with an expression that vaguely resembled interest.

"You just called me a fraud."

"Yes."

"Does that not seem like a bit of a contradiction then?"

Alex's fist curled of its own accord. Weston had a face that just begged to be punched, and his attitude wasn't doing him any favours either.

"No. You're a fraud. A qualified one, with a very fancy looking diploma in your hands, but still a fraud."

"Why do you say I'm a fraud?"

"You said you were going to evaluate my mental state."

"I did. That is what I am doing."

"No. That is what you're pretending to do. You'll never be able to "evaluate my mental state" as you keep saying. Not mine, or anyone else's for that matter."

"Well, my fancy looking diploma would say otherwise."

"You're pathetic." Alex snapped, towering over the disgustingly smug man before him.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You think a piece of paper tells you what's going on inside my mind? You stand on the outside, looking in. You read words on a page and look at some videos and _assume_ you know exactly what's going on in my head. Who are you to say that I'm traumatised? Who is anyone to say that? The one sure thing in this world is that my thoughts are my own, and no matter how intuitive or empathetic you think you are, those thoughts will still be locked away inside _my_ head, and away from _you_!"

"Wow... well I think we've made great progress today. Next time we -"

"_Oh for fuck's sake!_" Alex spat. "Mrs Jones, if you bring this man back here again I'll break his neck. I know how, and I won't be able to stop myself."

Jones and Alex stared at each other, testing to see who would break first. Apparently something in Alex's eyes spoke to Tulip Jones because she turned to Dr Weston and dismissed him with a nod of her head. Alex didn't even look at the man as he marched out of the office.

"But Mrs Jones, Alex _needs_ therapy! He is clearly damaged and I can help..."

A wave of disgust washed over Alex at the frantic tone of Weston's voice through the door. He didn't care at all about Alex. He was looking for a trophy, to add to his pile of achievements. He wanted entertainment, and drama. He wanted the story behind the teenage soldier at an SAS camp.

Just like everyone else.


	10. Chapter 9

_So I wasn't completely happy with my last chapter. It felt a little rushed, and a bit disjointed to me. Any constructive criticisms are welcome._

_ I don't own Alex Rider or K-Unit._

* * *

The recruits were back.

Wolf had wanted to approach Cub about it during the week, but it had been awkward since his return. Things had settled down after the initial argument with K-Unit, but after his surprisingly short psych evaluation the teen had shut down. He followed them to task briefings and kept up with them on drills with no apparent difficulty. He ate and slept and completed his school assignments, much as he always had, but _he_ was different. The witty and sarcastic teen they had begun to catch glimpses of was gone. Cub was once again silent and suspicious, offering only sharp gestures and monosyllabic answers.

The mystery behind their youngest member still tormented K-Unit, and they were all still desperate to talk to him about Jack Starbright and MI6, but any hopes they had of getting an honest answer were fast disappearing.

With the return of the recruits to base Wolf knew he would have to swallow his pride and break the silence. Failing as a senior unit in front of the recruits could have detrimental effects on their careers, so whatever tension Cub was clinging to would have to be addressed. Immediately.

Drills and skill sessions dominated their time, and downtime had taken a sharp decline with the imminent arrival of the Lieutenant General, so opportunities to talk with Cub in private were damned near non-existent. In fact, it wasn't until their last evening away from the recruits that an opportunity presented itself.

Wolf had been called to the Sergeant's office for one final briefing on the recruits' training. It was well after lights out by the time he returned to the cabins, but apparently he wasn't the only one late to bed.

Cub was sitting on the log fence outside K-Unit's barracks, staring at the sky, just like his first night. And just like his first night, Wolf joined him.

"It's been a rough couple of weeks Cub." He sighed, staring out into the trees. The Unit barracks all backed onto the forest, sitting on the very edge of the base. Sometimes, on days when Eagle was in a mood or Snake was feeling nosy, Wolf would wander a couple of meters into the forest and pretend he was anywhere else. Pretend he was any_one_ else. He'd take a deep breath, listen to the natural silence for a moment, and return to reality.

"It's been a rough couple of _years_ Wolf." Cub breathed, his eyes still fixed on the night sky.

It was an opening; an opportunity to ask Cub anything and get the truth. Cub was practically in a trance. His face betrayed his exhaustion. His walls were down.

"Don't tell me now Cub." Wolf said, only half regretting his words as Cub finally looked at him, surprise written all over his face.

"Don't get me wrong; I _really_ want to know. I want to know about your family, and how you ended up with MI6, and your missions, and the missing two and a half years from your file. I want to know every detail and I want _you_ to tell me."

"So why - ?"

"Why don't I want you to tell me now?"

Cub nodded mutely.

"Because you're tired, and not thinking clearly, and I don't want you to regret telling me these things."

"Why do you think I'd regret telling you?"

"Because, as much as I wish it were otherwise, you don't fully trust me, and you definitely don't trust Fox, Snake and Eagle. And you know that, while I would keep any secret you asked me to, it would be hard. It would damage the Unit."

"So..."

"So, I want you to tell me when you _want_ me to know, not when you want to make yourself feel better. And I promise Cub, when that day comes, I'll listen. No judgement. And I'll answer any question you ask me."

Cub grinned self-consciously and Wolf cheered internally. The relief at seeing an expression other that suspicion on Cubs face was almost overwhelming.

"You seem awful sure I'm going to trust you."

"That's cus I'm a trustworthy guy!" Wolf grinned widely.

"Oh, you think so?"

"I'm the Mother Teresa of the SAS, and you'd better fucking believe it!"

"You curse a lot for a nun." Cub grinned.

Wolf laughed and mussed Cub's hair affectionately, absently wondering where the oddly paternal gesture had come from.

"Brat." He chuckled.

They sat in silence for another while, and Wolf finally felt like he could _breathe_ around Cub again. It was easy to forget, with all the MI6 drama and the sulking and the avoidance, that Cub was a pretty fun kid. He was sharp and witty, and Wolf had actually missed that side of him. Not that he'd admit it, to Cub or anyone else for that matter.

But things would get better now. And with his kind-of apology off his chest, Wolf could address the next issue with a clear conscience.

"So the recruits are back."

"Don't worry Wolf."

"What? Who says I'm worried?" Wolf snapped automatically. He hated being anticipated.

Cub let out a rueful sort of chuckle, and Wolf had to take a breath. It was harder then he had expected, balancing his need to be patient with Cub and his desire to turn him upside down and shake him until all his secrets came poring out by sheer force of gravity. But either way, Cub's perceptive nature was something he'd have to get used to. As it was, the kid had finally decided to abandon his monosyllabic tactics and give Wolf a real answer.

"I say you're worried. Your face shows it. You're afraid I won't be able to keep up because you haven't seen me train properly. You're afraid I won't trust you guys to work with you on the obstacle course, you're nervous about my firearms skills and hand-to-hand combat. And you're worried about how me and the recruits will react to one another."

"Look, Cub..." he started apologetically, not sure what he was apologising for.

"It's ok Wolf, I completely understand." Cub sighed, the small grin still on his face. "You're the Unit captain and it's your job to worry about these things. And with all the drama of the last two weeks I never did get to prove you wrong about the whole me being just a kid thing."

"So..."

"So, what I'm saying is, don't worry. In terms of physical capabilities and skills, do you really think I'd still be alive if I couldn't fight or shoot?"

Wolf didn't have an answer. Honestly he was more embarrassed that the thought hadn't occurred to him before his argument with Cub at the obstacle course.

"As for working with K-Unit and the recruits? Well, while you're right about me not trusting K-Unit, I do know you're not the bad guys, and I know you're all pros at this, so I have no problem working with you during drills."

If the kid was in a sharing mood, who was Wolf to deny that.

"And the recruits?"

"The recruits are going to suck." Cub sighed, before straightening his shoulders, his voice suddenly turning steely. "And if one of them decides to be a prick, I'm not going to roll over and take it. I'll try to be patient Wolf, but I won't take any crap from them. I'm honestly too tired at this point to deal with any more bullshit from people who don't know what they're talking about."

Wolf watched Cub closely, looking for any signs of deception, not that he thought he'd recognise any.

Cub's face was a little pale and drawn, but his gaze was focused and determined. Wolf relaxed, comfortable with the knowledge that, if it came down to it, the recruits wouldn't stand a chance.

* * *

The morning was cool and damp, a light fog drifting in from the north. Wolf, Snake, Eagle, Fox and Cub filed out of the barracks for a five kilometre run before breakfast. No words had been exchanged, but Cub's relaxed demeanour and Eagle's apologetic nod had set them on the right track again.

When they arrived at the mess hall the recruits had once again filled the empty benches. Cub kept his eyes forward as he collected his tray from Eel. The soldier's gruff "good luck, kid" put a small grin on the kid's face as Eagle led the way to an empty bench beside S-Unit. Deliberately or not, Snake had placed his hulking form on Cub's right, conveniently hiding him from most of the recruits. It wouldn't do to have a confrontation around the food.

Wolf felt the tension fade out of him as one of the recruits gave Cub a curious look before returning to his meal. They had passed the first test.

* * *

K-Unit was assigned to supervise the recruits on the obstacle course at 1400 hours. As the hour approached Wolf could feel the nervous energy returning. K-Unit marched to the start of the course and waited. Wolf checked their formation; a perfect symmetrical V, with Snake and Eagle on his flanks and Cub and Fox beside them. He periodically clenched and unclenched his fists behind his back to relieve the tension. This was it. No more hiding. Cub was in plain view, a clear member of the unit, staring stoically ahead.

The recruits jogged up the path and filed into the standard four-by-ten formation. Resisting the urge to glance back at Cub once more, Wolf glared at the soldiers before him. There were forty men in front of them. By the end of the week eight would be cut. Wolf was here to help determine who.

They all stood in silence.

Eventually some of the recruits began to shift nervously. Wolf watched as the ones nearest the front noticed Cub. Most of them frowned, either in anger or in confusion, before schooling their expressions. But there were a few, he noted, whose reactions were far less fleeting.

Wolf enjoyed the silence and the power it gave him. They were waiting for him to start screaming at them, which he would, eventually. But for now he wanted to test their ability to obey the most basic rule; do as your commander says, and nothing else. Without saying a word, Wolf knew that his unit had understood his tactics. He knew they were standing firmly in position with fierce, unmoving expressions.

"At ease, maggots!" Wolf barked. He had been looking forward to this since before Cub's arrival. He could feel a feral grin threaten to creep its way onto his face, before he squashed the urge.

"I am Wolf, and these men behind me are K-Unit! We will be training you for the foreseeable future, so let us get one thing straight!"

Here Wolf paused dramatically and glared at the group. After years of dealing with Sergeant Manson, Wolf had mastered the art of barking orders.

"We are your superiors! You will address every member of this Unit as "sir", and nothing else! You will follow their orders to the letter! You will respect them and you will not question them! You are not in the SAS yet, and failure to follow any of these rules will result in you getting your ass kicked out so hard you'll land in Texas! AM I CLEAR?"

"SIR YES SIR!"

"Good. Welcome to Hell."


	11. Chapter 10

_Hi guys! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year! Once my exams were over I spent my whole break sleeping! It was AMAZING! Seriously, though, pyjama days are my absolute favourite thing in the world..._

_Back to business though._

_I don't own Alex Rider. I'm just not that awesome..._

* * *

The recruits' presence had made things... interesting. For the most part they had left Cub alone. He stood with K-Unit at first and was careful not to interact with the recruits too often. So far he had left no opportunities for conflicts, but they all knew the peace wouldn't last. After the first week eight men had been cut, and with more cuts to come tensions were running high. While most of the men were content to watch the teenage enigma from a safe distance, there were, as predicted, a few hotheads whose curiosity was growing day by day.

One soldier in particular, a brawny Liverpudlian named Boar, had taken a quick dislike to Cub. He would glare at him from his position in the second line as Wolf assigned them their tasks for the day. Rumours began to circulate of Boar's interest in the teenage spy. Cub's presence had thrown the recruits for a loop. There were a couple of theories, each thoroughly scrutinised by Boar, on why Cub was there. The most popular were that he was the delinquent son of a politician, that he was the Sergeant's son, or, Cub's personal favourite, that he had been found wandering the forests of the Welsh countryside and had been unofficially adopted into the camp. Boar though, was serious, and had scathingly discounted each one.

He could be heard theorising at breakfast, talking to anyone who would listen. According to Boar Cub was clearly too young to be in the SAS, with his boyish features and wiry teenage frame. However, Cub had impressed on the obstacle course with his unusually acrobatic displays of strength and ingenuity. He pulled his weight and eventually the running theories of faked birth records and various paternities faded. Boar was the only one who still clung to his theories, and a few weeks into selection things came to a head.

During the first few days Wolf and Eagle had done most of the demonstrations, using Cub, Fox and Snake as props more than anything. They were playing it safe, trying not to expose Cub too much now that he had removed most doubts. Eventually though, their group, the Beta recruits, were rotated onto the firing range.

The firing range was a massive expanse of exposed rock and dirt the size of the Stamford Bridge stadium. Targets were lined up at different distances along the western edge of the range. A large area was sectioned off away from the targets, like a paddock. Benches, gun wracks and crates were stacked on both sides of the fence.

Eagle, the Unit's sharpshooter, ran drills on long range shots, covering everything from how to spot a sniper, to how to shoot like one. The group had been divided into subunits, and his eight had followed him to the farthest end of the range. Wolf of course dealt with heavy artillery. His passion for battle rifles was unnerving, as was the feral grin he wore as he tore through the targets with his L85A2 assault rifle. Snake trained all the recruits, regardless of their specialty, in the treatment of bullet wounds. He had claimed the fenced off area for emergency first-aid, and was now timing his recruits as they fumbled with gauze and medical tape. Every now and then he could be heard shouting at the recruits. Exclamations of "Well done, your communications officer is dead!" melted into the blasts of Wolf's submachine guns and Eagle's L121A1 Sniper Rifle.

Fox and Cub stood off to the side with the last group, watching as the soldiers disassembled and reassembled different types of guns, exchanging notes on rifle maintenance. Every now and then Cub would mutter to Fox and gesture to one of the soldiers, and Fox would move to correct the recruit. This continued until Fox eventually shoved Cub in the direction of the man he was gesturing to. Sighing, Cub approached the man and spoke quietly, demonstrating something with a flick of his wrists. The man nodded but the recruit next to him scoffed loudly at the teen.

Fox tensed, ready to intervene, but Cub was clearly capable of dealing with stupidity. His hands flew over the disassembled L9A1 Browning, assembling it smoothly. He snapped a magazine into place and turned on the spot, firing 13 rounds into the crudely man-shaped wooden target without blinking an eye.

The eight recruits stood in shocked silence as Fox examined the target. Five headshots, eight bulls eye shots to the heart.

"Damn Cub, what did the target ever do to you?" Fox whistled. The recruits chuckled nervously and Fox glared at them. Recruits weren't supposed to laugh, apparently.

"You think it's funny that Cub can shoot the target when you can't?" he spat viciously, all remnants of humour gone.

"No sir!", came the uniform reply.

"Then quit laughing and quit bitching and figure it out!"

The attitude shifted after that. The recruits seemed either apologetic or severely pissed off, but Fox had once again placed Cub firmly with K-Unit, so wordless animosity was as far as it went.

At least, until Boar's unit showed up.

As his subunit rotated to first-aid, Boar's eyes didn't leave Cub's hands as they flew over the SIG Sauer P226, dismantling it as Fox kept time. He watched as Fox and Cub took turns in instructing the soldiers, watched as Cub shot at the targets, watched as Cub subtly corrected a soldier's grip or stance before silently moving on.

"Boar!" Snake snapped irritably.

Boar snapped out of his vicious thoughts as the angry medic dumped a mess of tape, gauze and bandages at his feet.

"Since you're so keen to learn, you get to pack the medical kit again."

"Yes sir."

"I'm not finished. You're going to pack the medical kit, in under three minutes, and then you're going to treat a through-and-through bullet wound on your left shoulder yourself."

"One handed sir?"

"Unless you can magically sprout extra limbs, then yes. Now quit fucking around and get to it!"

"Yes sir!"

* * *

By the time Boar had finished repacking the medkit his face had turned an alarming shade of puce. A combination of frustration and resentment had him fumbling with equipment, earning more abuse from Snake. K-Unit's medic had singled him out and decided to make an example of him, humiliating him in front of men he intended to lead. He gritted his teeth and swallowed the urge to punch his supervising officer.

"You're fucking useless, the lot of you!" Snake snapped. "Go be Fox's problem!"

Taking that as a dismissal, the eight recruit's saluted brusquely and marched off to Fox, each suffering their own bruised ego.

Alex stood in silence as Fox directed each soldier to a bench. He regarded each soldier curiously, monitoring their stance, their expressions. Every miniscule twitch was noted.

"In front of each one of you I have placed a different handgun. When you've run out of grenades and your battle rifle jams, this gun will be the only damn thing you have left, so you'd better know how to use it." Fox barked, glaring at each recruit. "You will have 15 minutes to disassemble, clean and reassemble your firearm. You will then fire your weapon at the target provided. Anything less than perfect centre-mass shots and you will repeat the process, from the beginning. You will continue until you get it right. Am I clear?!"

"Yes sir!"

"Then let's get to work ladies!"

The medley of Wolf's cutting tones, ringing gunshots and boots on gravel was oddly soothing to Alex. So, with Fox's encouraging nod, Alex stepped forward and observed each soldier. They were all well trained professionals. Given time, most of them would adapt well to the intensity of the SAS. He paused at one man and quietly suggested he adjust his stance. He was rewarded with an appreciative nod, which seemed to Alex to be the SAS equivalent of a warm hug.

Fox wandered between the benches for a while before Snake called him over, leaving Alex to supervise the eight recruits.

Eventually Alex's feet led him to where Boar was facing his target. The large man had already missed two shots, sending them into the shoulders of the target. Sighing in apprehension he approached the red-faced recruit.

"Tighten your grip a bit. The recoil on the SIG's a bitch." Alex murmured, careful not to let the other recruits hear. He was acutely aware of Boar's dislike of him.

"Shut up twerp, I know what I'm doing." Boar growled, firing another shot, missing the target again.

"Moron." Alex growled, stalking away from the stubborn man.

"What was that?"

Alex paused to take in Boar's red face and fisted hands. He should probably say nothing. He should probably walk away. Usually he would, but he recognised this kind of man. This was the type of man who was incapable of recognising the high road. Walking away now would be seen as a sign of defeat which the soldier would never let him live down.

He should ignore him, though. He should be the bigger person. He should-

"Fucking little twerp."

Screw the high road.

Alex faced Boar head on and glared at him.

"I called you a moron."

Boar lunged for him, the soldier's great meaty fist flying towards his face. Alex ducked beneath the blow and eyed the man clinically as they both regained their balance. Looking at his sloppy stance, Alex had no doubt that he could take the soldier out. The real concern however was the semi-automatic still clutched in Boar's hand. Perhaps he should have waited for the soldier to drop the loaded weapon before antagonising him.

Boar roared like his namesake and threw himself at Alex once more, stumbling as the young spy sidestepped neatly. Snake and Fox both looked up at the commotion, just as the enraged Boar seemed to remember the gun in his hand.

The man had a manic gleam in his eye. He was about to do something he would regret. Fox was storming over but he'd never make it before someone got hurt.

Boar was raising the gun. He'd lost his mind. Stepping forward quickly, Alex slammed the heel of his hand into Boar's nose. The man stumbled back, clutching his bloody face, his eyes wide and furious. Alex twisted quickly, and lashed out with a spinning back kick to Boar's stomach. The soldier was thrown onto his back, where he lay gasping for breath. Another recruit quickly stepped forward and grabbed the gun from him, just as Fox and Snake arrived, closely followed by Wolf and Eagle.

The range was suddenly quiet. All the recruits had followed their supervisors and were now grouped around him. K-Unit were staring at the now unconscious Boar, until a voice, one of the recruits', sounded from the back of the crowd.

"What the fuck just happened?"


	12. Chapter 11

_Hey guys, Happy February! Here's the next bit :)_

_Also, as always, I don't own Alex Rider or K-Unit._

* * *

"Wolf, what happened?"

Following the incident at the firing range Boar had been dragged to the infirmary by two other recruits. Word had reached Sergeant Manson in minutes and Cub had been called to the office while K-Unit tried to get the rest of the recruits back on track. It hadn't been easy though, with the sergeant pulling soldiers out of training, one by one, to interview them.

Eventually the call came for K-Unit to come to the office and here there they were, lined up and ready for a beating. Sergeant Manson stood in front of them glaring. Wolf was suddenly reminded of primary school; the principal staring at him, waiting for him to crack and admit _he_ had put Thomas Carter's colouring book in the toilet. Only, in this case, rather than risking a slap on the wrist, it was his whole career on the line.

Basically, the whole situation was a total shitfest.

And the sergeant was still glaring.

"One of the recruits sir –", Wolf began. Sergeant Manson was pacing now, and it was throwing him off. In all the time he'd been at the SAS, Sergeant Manson had never paced, no matter what. That he'd be this stressed was not a good indicator.

"Boar, correct?"

"Yes sir, Boar. There was an incident on the firing range, an altercation between Cub and Boar, sir..."

"You didn't see?" Manson demanded.

"No sir." Wolf cringed internally. He needed to be able to answer these questions, or else he'd look incompetent, but he honestly had no clue what had happened. None of them did.

Manson bristled, but stopped pacing.

"I see. Who threw the first punch?"

"According to the other recruits sir, Boar attacked Cub sir."

"And what were his injuries?"

"Cub sustained no injuries sir." Snake answered this time.

"I assumed as much. I meant Boar."

"Boar was taken to the infirmary. He sustained a broken nose, a fractured rib and severe muscle bruising."

Sergeant Manson leaned back against the edge of his desk. The temptation to shift or fidget was almost overwhelming, but the sergeant had yet to lash out at them, and they were hardly going to invite his ire now.

"So he was lucky then."

K-Unit blinked in unison. _That_ was not what they were expecting. He was supposed to be giving them the worst dressing down of their lives, yelling at them for letting Cub beat up a recruit on their watch. The tension was killing Wolf; he couldn't take the waiting.

"Lucky, Sir?" he asked tentatively, but the sergeant either didn't hear him (unlikely) or had ignored him (more likely), because he was already circling his desk and shuffling papers into a file that looked remarkably similar to Cub's (though Cub's had looked like every file, so maybe it was just speculation).

"Right, well, in the meantime Boar is being binned and as his training officer Wolf, I need you to sign off on his dismissal."

Wolf blanched. Binning Boar for this would undoubtedly end his military career, and Cub had openly admitted to antagonising him.

"But sir, the recruits say he was provoked. Isn't binning him a bit extreme? Cub isn't pressing charges."

"I understand your concerns Wolf, but all of you have been provoking the recruits. It's your job to push them, and it's their job not to react. Boar attacked another soldier with a firearm, and with the intent to cause serious harm. I don't care about why he attacked Cub; violence against a fellow soldier is not tolerated in this camp."

Manson's tone was final and absolute.

"Yes sir. And what about Cub?"

The Sergeant looked up at the four soldiers with a look that almost resembled pity. He set the file back down and eyed his soldiers for a moment before replying.

"Cub can undoubtedly look after himself, physically at least. I think that Boar is lucky to be able to walk away from this encounter."

"Sir?"

Sergeant Manson huffed, disbelief at the question written all over his face.

"Boar, a trained soldier with a gun, attacks an unarmed teenager and ends up in the infirmary. And said teenager walks away without a scratch? I have no doubt, Wolf, that Cub was pulling his punches."

Wolf flinched internally at the Sergeant's patronising tone.

"Of course sir." He answered blandly, biting back his curiosity. Evidently Manson was not fooled.

"Is there a question there soldier?"

"Yes sir. Why do you say that Boar is lucky?"

"From what I can tell, Cub incapacitated Boar with remarkable control and efficiency. I wouldn't be surprised if his capabilities extend far beyond what we are aware of."

There was a brief silence.

"If that's all, then you may return to your barracks."

The Sergeant's dismissal fell on deaf ears. Wolf's legs carried him out of the office out of habit, but the Sergeant's words were still flying around his head.

_"I have no doubt that Cub was pulling his punches..."_

"Well fuck!"

* * *

By the time they had returned to the cabin, it appeared that K-Unit had managed to work themselves into a frenzy. Alex could hear them outside from where he lay on his bunk. Whatever the sergeant had said to them had apparently pissed them off, because now they were ranting and raving about _him_. It was a precursor to another interrogation, of course.

As the sound of their footsteps grew nearer, the voices outside stopped. There was a short, tense silence, then the door flew open with a bang and the four burly men stormed inside.

"What the fuck was that Cub?!" Wolf, ever the fearless leader, was first up to bat. Alex sighed internally and swung his legs off the bed.

"I was defending myself." Alex was tired of defending himself, physically and verbally. Not to mention the fact that K-Unit's yo-yo approach was giving him a migraine. First they're curious, then they're supportive, then invasive, then patient, and now it was back to aggressive interrogation.

"You broke his fucking nose!" Eagle's turn apparently. Alex half expected Wolf to tag him in or pass a baton or something.

"Better him than me." Alex grumbled. He didn't understand why they were so pissed off, but apparently his answer hadn't helped.

"Are you kidding me? You could have ended his military career with all that ninja shit, and that's all you can say? Better him than me!" Snake now. They were literally taking turns attacking him. It was remarkably civilised, all things considered.

"He tried to shoot me!"

"You don't know that!" Fox snapped.

That, more than anything, made Alex angry. Had they not seen the Sig in Boar's hand?

"For Christ's sake, I knew what I was doing!"

"What the fuck does that mean?" And they were back to Wolf.

"It means I broke his nose instead of his leg! He'll be up by tomorrow and pissing everyone off in no time." Alex rolled his eyes. They were being so melodramatic. Snake himself had said Boar's injuries were superficial when he was patching the recruit up.

"You don't know that! You just went all Pulp Fiction on him and sent him to the infirmary. You don't know that he'll be fine!"

"Yes I do!" Alex was practically shouting to be heard by now. Why couldn't they just listen to him? If they would just take their heads out of their asses they would understand what he was saying, what he meant when he said he knew what he was doing.

"How the fuck can you know that!?" Eagle's face was bright red, veins standing out on his neck.

"Because it's my job you moron!" he yelled, standing to look the soldier in the eye. Why couldn't they accept that he wasn't allowed tell them anything? This was already a breach of his contract with MI6.

"What kind of job tells you that? What kind of a job trains a teenager to incapacitate a trained soldier, and teaches him to use a gun and whatever other twisted shit you can do! What the fuck does MI6 do with you?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Bullshit!"

"That's a load of crap!"

Alex scoffed silently. He couldn't even distinguish who was asking what anymore. All four men towered over him, eyes blazing, chests heaving.

"You owe us some answers Cub."

A coldness settled over Alex as he registered Fox's words.

"I don't owe you shit."

"Fuck that! We deserve more than bullshit excuses and "It's classified". We didn't sign up for babysitting a pathological liar, so cut the crap and answer us! _What the hell are you?!_"

Alex stood in stony silence as K-Unit took turns yelling at him. They were beyond the point of reason, and he wasn't going to waste his breath. Staring at their red faces and clenched fists, Alex felt a flash of regret; regret for liking them; regret for trusting them; regret for trying to tell Wolf the truth.

Suddenly all he wanted was to get _out._ He wanted to be anywhere but there. Teen instincts kicked in and stepped forward, interrupting their tirade.

"Fuck you." Alex spat.

Ignoring the fuming soldier's in front of him, he stomped out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

It was cold now, and the mist from earlier had turned to drizzle. He'd be soaked in minutes, but still the outdoors held more appeal than K-Unit. Alex stormed away from the cabin, kicking out violently at the ground, grunting furiously as his toe connected with something a lot harder than grass.

"Mother fucking –"

"Cub?"

"WHAT?" Alex roared. If one more person tried to come after him -

"Christ kid, calm down." It was Crow. Sharpshooter, 6'2", 185 pounds of hard muscle. B-Unit's captain was smart, efficient and completely devoid of curiosity.

Alex pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to face him.

"Sorry." He huffed. "What is it?"

"Sergeant wants you again." Crow said, already walking away.

"Ok, thanks Crow."

"No worries. Take it easy Cub!" the man grinned and disappeared into his own cabin.


	13. Chapter 12

_Hey guys, I am sorry for being so unreliable with posting, but unfortunately I don't think that will change. I am, first and foremost, a student in the middle of an intense course._

_Also, someone posted a question recently that I just wanted to address._

_ I know that, in most fanfictions involving K-Unit, Fox and Alex have a strong bond or the potential for one. In this story I'm taking their relationship at face value from the books. Fox and Alex had limited interactions during Snakehead, and although Ben was undeniably concerned and relieved when they found Alex again, I took that as relief for finding a teenager Fox had been assigned to protect, rather than relief for finding a younger-brother figure. Their relationship never became a very personal one. I'm looking at it more like an agent working with a temporary partner for a single case; trust and concern on a professional and human level only, rather than a familial connection. That's just the view I'm taking for this story in particular._

_I'm not sure about this chapter and how it ties in with the rest of the story, so **constructive** feedback is welcome and appreciated._

_As always, this is not world where I own Alex Rider or K-Unit._

* * *

The sun had set completely by the time Alex reached the Sergeant's barracks. A light shone softly from inside illuminating the man's imposing figure as he appeared in the doorway.

"Cub, you have a visitor."

"Oh joy." Alex grouched, knowing exactly who was waiting for him on the other side of the door. The Sergeant, recognising the situation for what it was, opted to let his attitude slide.

The office was cast in shadow, dimly lit by the single desk light. Alex was tempted to role his eyes at the theatrics, but the sight in front of him erased any trace of mirth from his mind.

Tulip Jones sat primly at the Sergeant's desk, turning at the sound of their arrival. Her dark hair, her anonymous clothing, her flat, expressionless face; she looked the exact same as always. The woman seemed impervious to life; untouched; ageless; soulless. She pulled out a peppermint and gestured for Alex to sit. A flash of something loosely resembling irritation flickered across her face as Alex waited for the Sergeant's nod before taking a seat.

"Alex, it's good to see you _(Alex, please come in and sit down). _I'm very glad you could join us _(It's good to see you out of the house Alex). _We had hoped to give you more time here to settle in, but... _(We had hoped to give you more time to grieve, but...) _unfortunately, circumstance has conspired against us _(unfortunately, these are special circumstances). _A recent incident has been brought to our attention _(Something has happened), _and if not dealt with immediately the consequences could be severe _(Immediate action is required). _You're the only one who can do it _(You're the only one we can trust). _You're a soldier now _(Jack is gone, Alex)_. We need you _(We need you)._

Sergeant Manson watched silently from behind his desk, a permanent scowl etched into his features. It was no secret that the Sergeant disliked MI6 using his soldiers. The fact that Alex was technically not one of his was, of course, irrelevant. Sergeant Manson just wanted Cub to tell Jones to piss off, but Alex remained impassive. They all knew that Jones wasn't making an offer. She wasn't asking a question, and she wasn't begging a favour. She was issuing a direct order, with the full weight of the British government and a binding contract behind her words.

Resisting the urge to look away from her dead eyes Alex reigned in his frustration and plunged into the deep end. "When?"

"Tomorrow."

"The assignment?"

"There's a file for you here. Make sure it doesn't leave this building."

"Fine."

"Good. Crawley will come for you at 0500 hours. We'll see you in London tomorrow for your briefing."

And then she was gone, the smell of peppermint lingering behind her.

The Sergeant sagged slightly after she left. He looked at Alex with an annoyed look similar to Mrs. Jones's. The meeting – if you could even call it that – had not gone his way.

"Very well Cub, you'd better inform your unit."

"That won't be necessary sir."

The sergeant glanced up at Alex, eyebrows quirked incredulously.

"Oh, and why not?"

Whilst Mrs Jones had been speaking, Alex had been weighing the pros and cons of consulting the Sergeant.

"K-Unit have an inappropriate curiosity when it comes to my... extracurricular activities, sir. Telling them accomplishes nothing aside from fuelling their interest."

"Pushed too hard, did they?" Manson's lip quirked up into a sort-of smirk. Was he teasing him?

"Sir?"

"Never mind. Go tell your unit. It's protocol."

Ok; not teasing.

"Yes sir."

* * *

After Cub had stormed out of the barracks, K-Unit started up a hurricane of their own, or at least Eagle had.

"Who the fuck does he think he is? I mean, who the hell even talks like that?"

The others were silent.

"Fucking MI6, that's who! It's such bullshit though! I mean, we reached out to the kid, we had his back, and then he goes all ninja on us and expects us _not _to ask questions?"

Contribution from his teammates was clearly unnecessary for Eagle's diatribe.

"Doesn't he get that the whole melodramatic _"I ain't gonna tell you nothing!"_ thing is like Teen 101?."

Eagle's tirade served two contrasting purposes; riling him up more, and calming the rest of the unit down. The more he gave out about Cub the more repetitious he got. Flaws in their reasoning appeared and creeping tendrils of doubt and shame began to undermine K-Unit's previous indignation and frustration.

Eventually the soldier ran out of steam. It turns out it's difficult to stay mad at someone when they're not _there_ to be mad at. The rest of K-Unit had stopped listening early on and drifted into their own thoughts, each mulling over the day's events.

They understood, to an extent, why Cub was so secretive. It was part of his job. That wasn't what was bothering them anymore. What had really angered them was Cub; demanding their trust but offering none in return. He lived with them, trained with them, called himself a soldier, but ignored the foundational rule of any military; No man goes it alone.

"What really pisses me off is that he won't even try." Eagle it seemed, had remembered he was supposed to be in the middle of a rant. "I mean, we all know that you can find a way around the OSA if you really want to. MI6 _specialise_ in loopholes, but Cub never made an effort. He was never going to be honest with us no matter what we did. Lying is all he does."

The last remark was spat bitterly from Eagle's mouth.

"That's not entirely true." Wolf defended, having come to the conclusion that they had acted like jackasses for no reason.

Eagle stopped up short. "What do you mean?"

Once the frustration had faded and he had regained the ability to think reasonably, Wolf had recalled his conversation with Cub from only a few weeks before.

"Cub did try to tell me how he ended up here."

"What?" Fox and Snake looked up in surprise. Cub had spoken to Wolf?

The man in question shifted uncomfortably, avoiding anyone's eyes.

"It was a while ago, after the psych evals."

"So what happened?"

"I stopped him."

"You what?" Suffice to say Eagle was _not_ impressed.

"I told him to wait until he was sure he wanted me to know."

"What is the fucking logic there? Haven't we been trying to figure him out this whole time? Why would you even _think_ of stopping him?" Eagle spat. Wolf made a mental note to discuss his temper with him at a later date. In the meantime, he owed his unit an explanation.

"I thought it was more important that he knew he could really trust us. I thought if I told him to wait he'd realise that he could tell us not just part of the story, but the whole damn thing."

"What the hell kind of logic is that Wolf?!" There was that temper again.

"It was the right thing to do."

"No it wasn't! Look at what's happened - look what he did - because _we didn't know_!"

"What the fuck Eagle! I know why I was angry, Eagle. Why are you?"

"What's that supposed to mean."

"Cub surprised us all today –"

"Surprised? Really?"

"Fine, he scared the shit out of us! We tore him a new one, which we shouldn't have. Why are you _still _angry?"

Eagle blustered for a moment, his eyes bugging out of his head a little. It would have been comical, except Wolf had never been good at playing the peace-keeper and this was not the time to laugh.

"We all knew MI6 used Cub for a reason. We were evaluating him for Christ's sake!"

"So...?"

Wolf sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, shielding himself for just a second, from the demanding gaze of his sharpshooter.

"I'm pissed off at Cub for taking the Boar situation so lightly. He just beat a man to a pulp, and though I don't doubt that it was more than deserved, it's not natural to be so _calm._ I'm angry with Cub for not caring. He was acting like some fucking robot; doing what has to be done, no feelings, no nothing. But that doesn't make what we did right!"

"If you're so in tune with Cub, why did you go after him too?"

"Because he scared the fucking shit out of me today! He's been scaring the shit out of me since he got here three years ago!"

"Then why didn't you let him explain?"

"Because it wasn't right! He wasn't ready!" Wolf could feel his own temper rising. Eagle was like a dog with a bone; he was never going to let this go.

"So what?! The sergeant ordered us to find out what was going on with him but you bailed!"

"What the hell do you want me to say?!"

"I want you to admit that you've been pussyfooting around the kid since he got here. I want you to admit that you shouldn't have let him walk away. I want you to admit that you were wrong."

"They'd just be words. I don't regret my decision."

"Say the words and I'll let it go."

"Eagle –"

"I just need to hear him say it Snake. He has to admit that Cub –"

"FINE!" Wolf spat, desperate for Eagle to just _shut up._ "You're right Eagle. When Cub offered to tell me the truth I should have prioritised better. I should have followed the Sergeant's orders and remembered that Cub is just a mission. I should have just taken the in when I got the chance. It was a stupid call and I shouldn't have let the opportunity slide."

"Real nice, Wolf."

Wolf whirled around. Cub stood in the doorway, a file clutched in his hand, His face was smooth but his eyes narrowed in disgust. The hurt and distain in those brown irises cut through the anger and the bullshit in the cabin. Wolf flinched, knowing immediately which parts of the conversation Cub had and hadn't heard.

"It's always helpful to know ahead of time if someone is worth trusting."

The temperature in the cabin dropped at his words.

"Cub, I wasn't -"

"I've been given an assignment. Sergeant wanted me to tell you I'm leaving tomorrow."

"What? Cub, you can't..."

Cub crossed the room, grabbed his go bag, swinging it across his shoulders and turned to leave again. He paused at the door and in that moment K-Unit understood what Cub had meant when he called himself a veteran. With his shorn hair, worn khakis and turbulent gaze, Alex Rider looked every bit the world-weary soldier.

And now he was gone.

* * *

"Shit! God damn, mother-fucking SHIT!" Wolf cursed, lashing out at the bed with his foot.

"Wolf –" Snake reached out to calm their captain, only to be roughly shrugged off.

"Are you happy now Eagle? Is that what you wanted?" the leader spat, rounding on former youngest member of the unit.

Snake stepped between them, hand gripping Wolf's shoulder. "Wolf, you know he didn't mean for that to happen."

"Then why make me say it? Why did you want _so_ badly to hear those words? It gets you _nothing_ from Cub."

"It wasn't about Cub. It was about you – us – getting caught up in his drama." Eagle huffed, pacing around to room. "We're supposed to be soldiers: we're given orders and we carry them out. Whispers and rumours are MI6's shit. With all this tip-toeing around the kid's feelings, we've forgotten the Sergeant's orders. We forgot _our mission_."

"The mission – ? Cub is a _person_. He's a _teammate_. He stopped being a mission the second he stepped foot in this cabin. We were supposed to be helping him, but we keep fucking up. _I_ keep fucking up."

"You didn't –"

"Yeah I did. We all did. We tore into him today for _defending_ himself. We had no reason to be angry."

"He didn't tell us he could fight." Eagle reasoned, but already the guilt was creeping onto his face.

"He did tell us." Snake interjected. "Or at least he tried to."

"Either way," Fox spoke up for the first time, "there was no reason for us to go after him like that. I mean, can any of us honestly say he was wrong to hit Boar? He didn't use excessive force, he didn't attack first."

"Fox is right." Snake sighed. "Boar's injuries were completely superficial. The Sergeant wasn't lying when he said Cub held back.

"And we tore the kid's head off for it." Wolf groaned "He'll never trust us again."

"Wolf, come on. It's not that bad."

"Not that bad? Fox did you _see_ his face just now? That was the absolute _worst_ thing Cub could have heard from us!"

"We can just explain..."

"Explain _what_ exactly? That we didn't mean it?" Wolf seethed. "Do really think, that after _years_ of working for MI6; of dealing with Blunt and Jones and every other god damned psychopathic maniac under the sun, do you really think _Alex Rider_ will believe we _didn't_ _mean_ _it_?"

"...shit..."

"Yeah." Wolf sighed, the anger draining out of him once more. "Shit."

Thunder rumbled in the distance as K-Unit sat in silence and the first few drops of rain tapped against the window.

Fucking pathetic fallacy.


	14. Chapter 13

_Next chapter is in progress. Here's a little something to bridge the gap. It's not really a chapter, more a moment of recognition for a great character who is sorely __missed._

_\- stormbringer94_

* * *

Finally alone, Alex perched on a rock and watched dead leaves shift in the wind. The cabins were within shouting distance but here in the forest he could pretend he wasn't at Brecon Becons. He could pretend he wasn't a spy or an orphan or a killer. He could pretend he wasn't leaving in a few hours, and he could pretend K-Unit weren't _just like everybody else_.

He could pretend, but he wouldn't. Wolf's words were stuck in his mind now, and it was at times like this that he really missed Jack. She had no expertise in espionage; she didn't understand military protocol or survival of the fittest. She couldn't speak a anything other than English and Pig-Latin and she couldn't wield a weapon to save her life _(clearly)_.

She could, however, understand people. She could have explained why K-Unit were acting the way they were. She could have comforted him and told him what to do. It was weird; her being gone. The years without her had warped and sometimes it felt like she'd only died days ago. Sometimes it felt like decades. Either way, for Alex missing Jack had become like breathing; involuntary and constant.

He walked through life with a nagging awareness of her absence, and though he rarely let himself really think about it, he ached for her company. On the rare occasions that he allowed himself to drop his guard it was only ever for a brief moment in the dead of night, when the world went to sleep and there was nothing left to distract him.

As had become the pattern of Alex's life, he never told anybody. Not about the suffocating guilt and loneliness that weighed him down, or the infuriating desperation he lived by. Lies and secrets were a learned habit that Alex had adapted to quickly, a habit he favoured over the truth when it came to K-Unit. They wanted desperately for him to open up and tell them what had gone so wrong in his world.

Instead, he carried on with his life; working, fighting, breathing, missing her.


	15. Chapter 14

_Oh my God it's been 8 months since I updated this story. That's a new low for me. I'm not going to apologise though because that might give you guys the impression that things will change. _

_They won't. I'm very inconsistent._

_A quick note on this chapter: Sergeant Manson is not a main character in this story. His purpose is to act as a sort of catalyst. K-Unit and Alex would never make any progress on their own, and Manson is the only person who could set them on the right path that made sense to me. I like to think of him as an older, wiser, more authoritarian Wolf in some ways. I say this because for a while I thought he drifted out of character here, but I was recently reminded that the average human can't go indefinitely without moments of vulnerability; of humanity._

_Anyway, here's what I've got now. I had to re-read my last few chapters before I posted this to remind myself of what was going on in my own story. How sad is that?_

* * *

Alex could have stayed out in that forest for days, but the real world beckoned. Standing, he brushed himself off and made his way back into the camp, keeping well clear of the barracks. Units S and F would be out on night manoeuvres and their cabins would be empty, but he quickly nixed the idea. They had granted him a degree of privacy, he could at least give them the same. His only other option was the main block, assuming the sergeant had left the lights on outside.

"Cub, what are you doing back here?"

Shit. Alex had hoped to avoid this. Sergeant Manson was disturbingly perceptive for a military man.

"I need to read this file, sir."

The sergeant had one eyebrow raised in disbelief. "Here?"

"Yes sir."

Manson's eyes narrowed shrewdly, but he gave Alex a sharp nod anyway.

"Right. Well there's a spare bunk in the Admin Block, for visitors. Take it for tonight."

Alex's shoulders sagged slightly in relief. "Thank you sir."

He must have been too eager to move on because before he could take a step the Sergeant stuck a hand out to stop him. "Alright Cub, out with it. What's on your mind?"

Alex glanced up in surprise. The look on Sergeant Manson's face wasn't pity, or curiosity or exasperation. It wasn't anything really.

"Nothing sir."

"Cut the crap Cub, I have no interest playing cat and mouse tonight." Manson snapped, glaring fiercely at Alex who hesitated for a long moment.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Granted." Manson replied, his thick eyebrows twitching slightly.

"Sorry for being so... blunt, but, what happened to Wolf?"

"You'll have to be more specific Cub. Has he done something?"

"No sir. He's just been acting oddly since I arrived."

Manson looked sceptically at the teen spy and Alex resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He doubted the sergeant would appreciate it.

"You mean to say he's not being an insufferable prick, like he was before you came back."

"Well, yeah." Alex shrugged. Manson seemed amused. He glanced in the direction of the barracks with a look of vague pride.

"It's simple Cub. He's not afraid anymore."

"What? When has Wolf ever been afraid?" Alex scoffed lightly, his mind flashing briefly to a cramped plane and Wolf's tanned hands clinging to the metal frame as wind rushed around them. "Anyway, what's fear got to do with anything?"

The sergeant levelled Cub with a look of steel, his thick wiry eyebrows casting his eyes into shadow and Alex backtracked hastily.

"Sorry. What has fear got to do with anything, _sir_?"

It came across slightly sarcastic – unintentionally of course – and the older man's scowl deepened. "Aren't you supposed to be observant Cub?"

Alex ignored the barb and waited patiently for an answer.

"Look, when you first met K-Unit they were competing for their positions in the SAS. Their whole lives had been building towards this; all their hard work was in jeopardy. Wolf especially was afraid of what you being placed with them meant. He saw it as a sign that his unit was failing. They never copped to it that I placed you with them because they were the _most_ capable, that I knew they were the best equipped to train you in the short time you were with us. They thought it was some form of punishment. Soldiers are trained to deal with fear in one way and one way only. You shove it down and pretend it doesn't exist. You do whatever it takes to complete the mission, and for most soldiers that means that superficial things like manners and social etiquette are dropped as a priority. I'm guessing he was a class A prick at Point Blanc? Well that was Wolf's first field-op as an SAS captain, and it wasn't exactly a walk in the park if you recall."

"Yeah I recall." Was Alex's slightly sardonic reply.

"He was nervous, so, like any good soldier, he swallowed his fear and acted like an asshole in order to complete the mission and keep everyone alive."

"So he was a bastard because he was scared."

The sergeant seemed to miss the derision in the young man's voice as he responded sagely.

"Exactly. Fear makes a man do strange things."

"No disrespect sir, but that sounds like bullshit." This earned Alex another sharp look.

"Watch it Cub. This may be off the records but I'll still remember this when I'm assigning latrine duty."

"Yes sir. Sorry sir."

Unfortunately for Alex, the light from the cabin was shining directly onto his face, illuminating his very unapologetic features. At this rate Sergeant Manson's eyebrows appeared to be welded into a menacing glower.

"Anyway," he continued pointedly, "even if it does sound like bullshit, it's still true enough. You've clearly noticed that K-Unit, and the rest of the Units for that matter, have been far more welcoming to you this time around."

"Yes sir."

"Well, they're not afraid right now. They're all established and decorated soldiers at this camp with no need to fear for their positions or their lives. They have no fear to hide."

"I suppose so..."

"And Wolf especially has a penance to pay."

"Sir?"

"Don't think I didn't notice him hazing you. I knew about the Killing House. And a name like Double-0-Nothing circulates."

"You knew then too, didn't you?"

"Of course I did, but it was between you and Wolf, and now he's trying to make up for his mistakes."

"Right." Alex scowled.

"Look Cub, the situation is really very simple. The men are curious. You're a kid, you're a spy. They don't understand you. They'd be more subtle about it, but they're also socially stunted morons. Every now and then they'll fuck up, but you just have to deal with it. And try to remember that. Whatever they say in the heat of the moment, K-Unit's priority is to look out for you. Today was just a bit of a shock. They'll remember that they actually like you and you'll all stop acting like pissy little girls. So just let this one go, will you?"

Alex didn't reply. He was a little out of his depth with this one.

"Just think about it. This could be your chance to get away from Blunt."

That more than anything shook Alex. "Why? Why are you doing this? Why do you care?"

"Lots of reasons Cub, but it's ultimately because Blunt chose to use a teenager as a soldier, which is illegal, unethical and more personally, offensive, to me and to the soldiers I train. There's no denying that you're a soldier now Cub, but you weren't when you started."

"There's something else isn't there?"

"No Cub, there's nothing else."

"Blunt and Jones chose me for a reason sir. Why do you really care?"

"This isn't MI6 Cub. When I say I'm insulted, you'd better believe that's why I'm pissed off! There is no double-meaning, secret message bullshit in my camp. They think my men aren't good enough, and I take that very personally. The fuckers!" Manson spat viciously, but his anger wasn't meant to be directed at Alex and slowly it faded to that familiar look of ambient irritation. "Just take your goddamn file and get the fuck out of here Cub before I really do put you on latrine duty."

Alex's curiosity however, was something he had never quite learned to reign in.

"You really think I'm going to buy that sir? Pride? You're a decorated war veteran. I'm pretty sure it takes more than pride for you to disparage you superiors.

Manson stepped right into Alex's space, his red face inches from his own. The stance was familiar; classic drill sergeant, trying to send a message. After a moment though, the stance was dropped and Alex suddenly didn't want to hear his answer. He didn't want to see this man as human, as someone with a life outside Brecon Beacons. Sergeant Manson didn't look up at first when he spoke, but there was a weariness in his voice that only a crushing loss could cause.

"You really are too good at your job Cub..." Manson murmured, before clearing his throat and looking Alex in the eye. His expression was an odd combination of heart-broken and belligerent

"I had a son, Cub. His name was Ryan. You'd be around the same age now as he was, but that's where the similarities end. In fact, you really don't remind me of him at all, which I appreciate."

Alex bit back a sarcastic "You're welcome."

"So what happened?" he asked instead.

"He was hit by a car a few years back. It was a complete accident, nobody's fault."

"I'm sorry."

"I know it has nothing to do with you, really. It just frustrates me. My son died tragically and nobody was to blame, but MI6 are _actively _trying to get you killed. I would do anything to have my Ryan back, so it pisses me off how they can have no appreciation for the value of a human life. It's just beyond me.

"That's why I'm asking you, _again¸ _to cut K-Unit some slack. Outliving my son has taught me to at least appreciate the time we did have together. Though it may not make much sense now, when your life falls apart you don't want to find yourself alone. Ryan was all I had in the world outside of this camp. Now he's gone, I'll be here until the day I die. I don't want that for you."


End file.
